Captivated
by BlueMyst19
Summary: SEE BIO FOR IMPORTANT INFO
1. Chapter 1

**Captivated**

**YAY! A new fic from me! I promise I'm working on Reigniting the Flames, but that's only two chapters long, so I'm good.**

**I really hope you guys like this… it's DanSam, but I don't know if I should call it romance since Dan can't love… but whatever. It may end DannySam but that's for me to know and you to find out! XP**

**Nonny and I really tore this one apart and I'm proud of it, so please be kind!**

**I don't own DP. duh. I do, however, lay some claim to this plot...  
**

"Why did you bring me here!"

"I'm surprised you haven't figured it out already Samantha, and a little disappointed."

"Well, the only reason I could come up with is that you're a sicko. Danny's good now, in case you didn't notice. He's not turning into you. Not ever."

Dan Phantom laughed at his twenty year old hostage. "I know that, Sam. I don't care about my younger self anymore. He may do as he pleases. There is only one thing that I desire now."

"Then why did you kidnap me? If not to make him come and rescue me?"

Dan sighed heavily. He moved over to where she was chained to the wall and nuzzled his nose into her neck, inhaling deeply. "Oh, Sammy, isn't it obvious?" He kissed her cheek almost tenderly, but it was too cold to be called anything like gentle. "You used to be able to see right through me…"

Sam jerked her head away from him. "Don't touch me," she spat.

Dan's eyes flashed angrily. "You are MINE! And I will do with you as I please!"

"Wait," Sam asked in the face of his anger, "What are you saying? That you…?"

Dan took a deep breath, regaining the composure he had inherited from Vlad. "No, Samantha. I don't love you. I don't have emotions," he smiled wickedly at her, "But all ghosts have obsessions."

"What!"

"You were the one who convinced Danny, that is to say me, to go into the portal. That makes you, in essence, my creator. In addition to that, I had a crush on you at the time, though you seem to have been oblivious to that too… And then of course, when I combined my ghost form with Masters', his ludicrous fixation on Maddie transferred to you. As a result, I am obsessed with you, as is your precious Danny, even without Masters' help…"

Sam glared at Dan defiantly, "Danny's not obsessed with me."

He just raised an eyebrow. "No? You've never noticed the temperature drop in your dorm at night? Or how you feel like someone's always watching you?"

Sam turned her head away.

"I see. You have. He can't stay away from you, Samantha. Nor can I. But we can't both have you. And since my chivalrous new counterpart is too shy and too infatuated with that ridiculous Gray woman, I'm taking you for myself."

"What does that mean, exactly?"

"I'm keeping you here. Outside of time. With me."

"Danny will come rescue me."

Dan grinned coyly at her. "I already did," he replied, "I saved you from an existence of unrequited love, of pining away from someone you will never have."

Sam just glared at him again. "I love Danny. And only Danny. And you won't make me stop by taking me away from him."

"My love," Dan carefully pressed his cold lips against her warm ones, "I AM Danny."

"You're not Danny. And I'm not your anything, especially not love. Now please let me go so I can leave." She knew it wouldn't work, logically, but she could not tolerate Dan's presence anymore.

"No matter how luscious and tempting I think you look there, I will unchain you, but only if you promise to stay." He dangled the key to her cuffs tantalizingly in front of her. "Promise you won't leave me, Samantha?" Dan really didn't care if she was chained to the wall or free… he had her and that was all that mattered. He'd beat Danny and Vlad. Danny, too clueless to ever realize his feelings for Sam and Vlad, too indecisive and pathetic to ever actually capture Maddie; he'd beat them both.

"Sure. I promise," Sam replied as sincerely as she could considering she was lying.

Dan pressed against her and whispered in her ear, "Oh come now, Samantha, surely you can lie better than that…"

Sam looked up at him with pleading lilac eyes. "Please let me down," she begged desperately, "I promise I'll make it worth your while…" she finished almost seductively.

Dan stared at her for a moment, deciding whether or not she was lying. Oh well, it wasn't like there was really any way for her to escape.

Sam held her breath as he unlocked her shackles, almost as though she were preparing herself. The moment she was free, her arms encircled his neck and she kissed him fiercely.

Dan, for the first time in a good many years, was caught off guard and his deep crimson eyes widened before he realized she was giving him exactly what he wanted: her surrender. Allowing his eyes to close, he kissed her back, wrapping his arms around her waist and lifting her to his level. She gasped and he took advantage of her open mouth, sliding his forked tongue between her lips, relishing the taste of her hungrily.

For a moment, Sam almost enjoyed herself, almost forgetting who was holding her as their lips slid against each other and their tongues tangled, fighting each other for domination. She wrapped her arms tighter around his neck, simultaneously deepening the kiss. But she soon remembered why she was kissing him the first place and drew slowly away, careful not to arouse any suspicion. She gave him a half lidded smile that was returned with a wicked grin.

Sam felt her feet touch the floor and Dan loosened his grip on her waist. He smiled unnervingly at her and Sam knew at that moment more than ever that she had to get away from him. She had to get back to Danny, away from this perverted version of her love.

Dan let go of her waist and reached for her hands. "I knew you'd see it m-" he didn't get to finish. Before he could get a secure hold on her hands, she ducked around him and bolted toward the door of the circular chamber he'd been holding her hostage in.

Dan laughed maniacally and split his form, the second one zapping to the door.

By the time Sam reached the door, she was caught by the duplicate Dan. "Nice try, my love. I've always admired your spark, but you don't think I know you well enough that I knew you'd try something like that."

"There is no escape from me, Samantha…" the original Dan told her.

"Let me go! You will _not_ keep me here!" Sam struggled futilely as he joined his two forms. "Even if I can't find a way out, which I will, Danny will come rescue me."

Dan chuckled. "You just keep telling yourself that."

Sam smirked at him. "Hey, you're the one who said that he's obsessed with me. So if he can't stay away from me, won't he come searching for me when he realizes I'm gone?"

Dan smirked right back. "He will never find you here, Samantha, not even with that idiotic real-world item tracking system in the Speeder." Noting Sam's frown, he laughed. "And before you ask, yes, I have thought of everything."

She wriggled in his grasp, again to avail. He was stronger than her, it was something she was going to have to learn to work around if she wanted to escape.

"Sammy," he cooed mockingly, "this would be much easier if you didn't fight me so."

"Do NOT call me Sammy!" She demanded.

Dan pulled Sam into fast, searing kiss. "I will do with you as I please," he repeated.

Sam's knees visibly trembled when he released her from his grip. "I-I-I'm hungry…" she stammered out. "I-If I'm going to st-stay… I'll need food," she swallowed hard, chastising herself for almost enjoying his rough kiss.

Dan stood back from her, as though trying to determine if she really was in need of food. Deciding it was in the best interest of his desires to at least give her _something_, he rolled his eyes and replied, "Very well. I almost forgot you humans need food…" He gave her his best feigned sincere smile. "I'll return shortly," he fazed through the door.

Sam breathed an enormous sigh of relief and tried for the door handle. The door didn't open, it didn't even give. Upon further inspection, Sam realized that the door was fake. That meant that the only way to get out of the room was to be a ghost. There were no windows either. Continuing her first real examination of the room, she noticed a rather comfortable-looking twin bed and a nightstand, a random wooden chair, and of course, the chains in the wall on the opposite half of the room. Dan had obviously been planning this for awhile.

Sighing heavily, Sam plopped down onto the bed, which was about as comfortable as she assumed it to be. Hugging her knees up to her chest, she bit back a few tears. It was unlikely that Danny would come rescue her, hell it was unlikely he'd even notice she was gone. She'd only been trying to threaten Dan by telling him that Danny would come looking for her. There was no reason for him too. He had Valerie… Sam shuddered in jealousy. No, if she wanted to get away from Dan, she'd have to get out by herself. She could not rely on Danny. He'd made that clear a long time ago…

Dan returned, carrying a bowl _of_ soup. "Oh for God's sake, why are you crying? Look, I brought you food." He hated it when people cried. Before his younger self had messed with the time stream, people cried at him all the time. It was so very irksome.

Sam quickly wiped her eyes. "I-I'm not crying," she asserted.

Dan thrust the bowl of soup at her, followed shortly by a spoon. "Good," he answered with an irritated expression, watching her staring at the soup. "It's vegetable soup, okay? Now eat." He pulled up the wooden chair and watched her sip tiny spoonfuls of soup past her lips with a kind of morbid fascination.

"Thank you…" she said meekly, shaking him from his reverie. It was good soup. She wouldn't admit it to him, but it was good soup.

Dan didn't respond. Warm civility just wasn't in him. Vlad's frigid grace was in him somewhere, but he never really had need for it. He vaguely supposed that he'd have to drag it out now, show his Samantha some form of humanity, if he wanted her to surrender to him completely. He continued to watch her, but he was growing impatient and he was getting the feeling that she was only eating so torturously to annoy him.

Sam would have been somewhat content to go on savoring her soup, but it was knocked out of her hands by a rather irate Dan. Before she could even register that her hunger was not to be satisfied, Sam was pulled violently into Dan's lap. His large, gloved hands splayed hard across her back as he nipped harshly at her neck. Sam shivered, but she didn't know why. He held her so tightly that it was painful and she cried out, but he ignored her.

"I'm hungry…" she muttered bitterly.

"As am I, my love," Dan replied. His kisses on her skin were ice cold and excruciating, but Sam could not bring herself to say she didn't like them.

"I-I'm not your love…" Sam protested weakly.

Dan smirked against her neck. "You are mine," he whispered possessively. "You are mine, no one else will ever have you," his voice was husky and frightening, but Sam gave no struggle, "I _own _you," he told her, before nibbling her earlobe. She tasted even more amazing than he had ever imagined. He wanted more. He wanted all of her. He would have nothing less, but he would torment her first. Taking on Danny's voice, he whispered softly into her ear the only words he could never mean, "Oh Sammy, I love you…"

Sam's breath caught in the back of her throat as she was half thrown back on to the bed.

Standing up, Dan laughed maniacally. Without so much as a goodnight, he fazed out of the room, leaving Sam confused and hurting. She finally collapsed into sobs, throwing herself prone on the bed. She sobbed into her arms for want of a pillow. She wondered what Dan was going to do to her come morning… and what Danny was doing right then. Had he even noticed she was gone? She betted not. He was so wrapped up in Valerie now… he didn't have time for her anymore. She felt so ashamed to admit it, but she needed him more than ever right now. She needed him to fly in and phase her out of there, take her back home… she couldn't get out of that prison on her own and she knew it. She curled herself up into a tight ball and let her sobs slowly rock her to sleep.

Dan floated into the room a little while later. Now that he had Sam with him, he found it impossible to stay away from her, much to his chagrin. He sat at the foot of the bed and watched her as she slept. Her face was stained with tears. He'd heard her crying earlier. Crying for his ludicrously dim-witted younger self, no doubt. He snarled at the thought.

Her breathing was soft and contented now, a small smile passing over her lips. He'd have to fix that. His body screamed for her, so loudly that he couldn't ignore it even if he'd tried (which he didn't. At all). Slipping easily and cautiously into the bed, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her flush against his own body, feeling her breathing against him now. He knew now why Danny was always hugging her, she did fit quite like a puzzle piece against him.

**Sorry it's a bit short! I just wanted to end it here… XD Pretty please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Captivated Ch2 (formerly Capi)**

Valerie rolled her eyes as she stared up at her boyfriend. She had not signed up for this, not at all. "Danny…" she whined. She hated it when he was in his ghost-form; lover or not: she could not help but resent him still. Valerie had trouble letting go of grudges.

Danny flashed her one of his trademark smiles and waved her off. "In a minute, Val-honey," he tapped on the window of the house he was hovering in front of. "Sam!" He called for what Val deemed the millionth time. "Sam! Are you in there?"

"Danny, _please_," Val begged, "she's probably out on a date or something!" She was fast becoming extremely exasperated, "You promised! You promised me! You promised me that today would be just us. No ghost hunting. No Jazz. No crazy parents. No Tucker. And especially NO SAM!!!!"

"I know, Val-baby, I'm really sorry, but I called her this morning and she didn't pick up, she usually does and I just wanted to check. You know how Sam is." Danny couldn't seem to get Sam off his mind lately and it was starting to worry him. He guessed that it was his intuition telling him something was wrong with her and he had to find out what it was. He had a compulsive need to know where she was twenty four hours a day. She was Sam, his delicate little flower, fragile and pale, though resilient only with proper care and attention. Nothing like Valerie, who was brash and unreasonable and often times a weed, headstrong and defiant, often crude and ugly in her demeanor.

"Yes, Danny. I know VERY well how Sam is. She's moody and selfish," Danny growled under his breath at that, "and she hates me, you do know that, don't you?"

Danny grinned at her again. "Sam doesn't hate you…" he told her and turned back to the window, "she just hates me for dating you…" he knocked harder on Sam's window. "Sa-AM!" He called. "SAM!"

"Danny, someone will see you! Come down now!" Valerie ordered. The tensions were rolling high between them lately. It was easy to see that Danny's thoughts were centered on someone other than Valerie and it was even more obvious that his heart did not belong to her at all.

Danny rolled his eyes at Valerie's command. No one was around. Sam's parents' mansion was very secluded. He had not signed up for this, not at all.

"Come down or just go in there!"

"No, Sam hates it when I do that!" He froze and wondered for a second if Valerie would figure out his dirty little secret. Danny, sometime during sophomore year of high school, had developed the rather… inappropriate habit of watching Sam while she slept. He'd never been able to stop himself, let alone try to give it up. But Valerie didn't seem to notice… It didn't matter anyway. To Danny, just watching Sam sleep peacefully in her bed was infinitely better than holding Valerie in his arms as she slept.

"She's probably still asleep, the lazy gothic bitch," she mumbled so she thought Danny couldn't hear.

Danny's eyes flashed and he swooped down to Valerie, face mere centimeters from hers. "What did you say?" He demanded. Danny didn't need this today. He didn't need another excuse to be angry with Valerie. In fact, one of the reasons he'd planned this day was to determine if they should stay together or not. To see if it was worth making it work. So far, it didn't seem to be worth the effort it was to tolerate her.

"You heard me."

Danny's eyes flashed bright green again. "Look Valerie," he said with strained calm, "I know that you and Sam don't get along. For whatever reason, you don't like her. I know she doesn't like you either, but at least she tries. When we started dating, she said she would try and I know she has, but you are always cold to her and I want to know why! Why, Val? What'd she ever do to you?!"

Valerie glared at him with supreme resentment. "She stole your heart," she spat bitterly.

Danny was taken aback. He blinked for a moment, trying to process what Valerie had said. "She… no… Sam and I are just-" As much as he thought about her, he still had trouble accepting that his feelings for Sam might run deeper than the simple, strong friendship they'd had since they were little.

"Just friends?" Valerie asked sardonically. "Puh-lease, Danny. You and Sam have _never_ been just friends. Maybe before you hit puberty, but that's it!"

"Actually, when we were eight she kissed me on the cheek and called me her boyfriend for a few days before she declared I was contaminated with cooties," he pointed out, mindlessly recalling the happy memory before he could stop himself.

Valerie screamed. "You… agh! Danny, you have to choose. You have to choose right now, I can't take this anymore. It's either me-your _girlfriend_-or Sam."

"You're giving me an ultimatum," Danny stated blankly, still hovering with his face inches from hers. "This is it? If I don't choose correctly then it's over."

"Yes," Valerie glowered, "me or Sam."

"I see. You don't think I can have the both of you in my life. You think I can't make it work."

"You haven't been."

"I've been spending ALL of my time with you, Valerie. I haven't seen Tucker more than a few hours this past month, I haven't seen my parents except for Thursday dinners. Jazz won't talk to me at all because she doesn't trust you. And I haven't seen Sam in WEEKS. If I'm not hunting a ghost, I'm with you. Don't you get it? I haven't seen anyone I love because of you."

"Then why are you still here?!"

"Because I thought I loved you… and I thought you loved me too!"

"Yeah. I thought the same thing. Just because you don't see her, Danny, doesn't mean she's not always there."

"It's not just that, ever since you found out I was Danny Phantom, you haven't trusted me. Or is it that you don't trust her?"

"Both," Valerie said curtly, "Now decide Danny, me or Sam."

"Sam," Danny answered immediately. "That isn't even a choice. It's Sam. She's the one who stood by me, the one who helped me, the one who didn't try to BLAST ME TO SMITHEREENS!" He bellowed. "Even after you found out I was Phantom, you STILL TRIED TO KILL ME! I had to force you into a truce! You thought I was possessed!" He continued screaming, before taking a breath, "It's Sam. It'll always be Sam."

For just one moment, Valerie looked like she would kill him right there and if she could have killed him with her glare, she would have. "She can have you, Danny, she can fucking have you. We're through."

"THANK GOD!" Danny shouted back at her. Valerie turned and glared at him.

"You know this means that the truce is over, Danny Phantom. I'll send you back to Hell, where you came from."

"Go get laid, Miss Red Hunter, you need it."

"I wouldn't need it if my stupid ex-boyfriend could've stopped thinking about his best friend for FIVE MINUTES!"

"I would have if you weren't an evil witch hell-bent on BLOWING ME UP!"

"Don't think I won't. Vlad Masters will be very pleased if I do."

"Yeah, go back to Vlad. Maybe he'll fuck you," Danny sneered smugly. "He's desperate enough."

Valerie's eyes filled with rage, "I will waste you," she muttered lowly.

Danny's veins blazed with anger. He'd been right; she'd wanted to kill him the whole time. Valerie always did keep her enemies closer than her friends… "Try," he dared.

Valerie made a move for her gun, but ended up turning on heel and storming off again.

Danny didn't have the time nor the desire to care that his girlfriend of five years was now not his girlfriend anymore. All he could think of was wasted time. He could always tell when something was wrong with Sam and something was wrong. He pounded his fists against the glass. "SAM! OPEN UP!!!!" He sighed. If she was in there, and he hoped to God she was, she was going to kill him for this… he phased through the window pane. "Sam?" He called out tentatively. "Sam? Are you decent? It's just me… just Danny… just your best friend…"

Ah, the story of his life. Even when his infatuation with Valerie had been strong, he'd still wanted Sam more. But she wanted nothing to do with him. That became clearer and clearer as the got older. She withdrew. If they needed her in a ghost fight, she was there, but if Danny and Tucker wanted her to hang out, like old times, she would merely ask if Valerie was going to be there. The answer was usually yes. And Sam would promptly make up some random excuse to not go. It drove Danny crazy. He could watch her slipping away from him and it wrenched something in his heart.

It was like being stuck in some horrible nightmare. He could watch his best friend and true love walk away from him, but his feet were stuck in the ground, held there by the hands of a thousand demons and no pleading or struggling he did would free him from their grasp.

Sam wasn't there. He'd even dared so far as to check her bathroom, almost praying to walk in on her bathing. Roaming though the big empty house calling for her, his face began to pale. She wasn't there. She would have told him if she were leaving. She still gave him that much courtesy. Mostly so he'd know why she didn't show up during ghost fights, but generally, she told him if she was leaving town. He grudgingly considered what Valerie said, that Sam might be on a date. Or worse, still tangled somewhere in the arms of a lover; it was still early enough to be basking in the warmth that came after a night of passion. But Sam didn't date and she didn't have a boyfriend That he knew.

That he hoped.

No, something was wrong. Something had to be wrong. He could sense it.

He took a deep breath to try and keep the panic at bay. Tucker would probably know where she was. If Danny didn't know, then Tucker usually did. Sam and Tucker were closer than he and Sam were. It hurt a little bit. He missed the days when they were all close. He missed being close to Sam and he'd be lying if he said he wasn't jealous of Tucker and Sam. There were days he feared there was something going on between them, but since he had no concrete proof either way, he kept his theory to himself.

In any case, Danny headed for Tucker's house, hoping that he'd come home for the long weekend like everyone else.

"Oh hey Danny, what's up?" Tucker smiled brightly when he saw his friend enter his room. His smile quickly faded when he noticed flashes of panic in Danny's eyes. "Dude? Is everything okay?"

"Do you know where Sam is?"

Tucker stared at him blankly. "Uh… no, I don't. I haven't seen her all week."

"She didn't say she was going to go anywhere or anything?"

"No, man, not that I remember. She would have told you."

"She didn't…" Danny gulped, "she didn't… she hasn't mentioned a boyfriend or anything?"

Tucker blinked for a second. "No, dude, but even if she did, that's not really any of your business. You have Valerie."

"Not anymore," Danny answered flatly. "We broke up."

"WOAH! When?!"

"Just now, but I don't care. Tuck, please, if you know anything about where Sam is… I'm worried." Danny began pacing around Tucker's room, almost muttering to himself.

Tucker spoke, only to stop Danny from talking to himself. "Dude, I'd tell you if I knew anything, but I don't."

Danny's mouth set into a grim line. "We have to find her. We just have to."

**Please review! Sorry it's short! I made it a little longer…**


	3. Chapter 3

**Captivated Chapter 3**

**Was formerly Captivated Chapter 2.**

**Big thanks to Nonny for this chapter and probably every other chapter. She's helping more than she could ever know.**

**Also, this MAY be the last T rated chapter, just to warn you. I didn't want to push it to M so soon, but there you have it…**

**On with the fic!**

Having no sun or anything that gave her indication of time, Sam merely woke up because she'd had enough sleep. In her dreary state, she barely realized that she was wrapped in someone's arms. Forgetting the ordeal of yesterday, she smiled blissfully and mumbled, "Mmm… Danny…"

"Yes, my love?" came Dan's husky voice as he kissed the back of her neck.

Sam twisted around to face him and screamed, all memory finally flooding back to her. "Oh my GOD! What the hell are you doing?!" She demanded, probably not a wise choice. She began twisting and struggling against him, putting her hands on his chest and pushing, kicking him, wriggling against him. None of which Dan would have minded if she hadn't been cursing and damning him while doing it.

Dan absolutely abhorred extreme displays of emotion. Roughly, he pulled her into him and refused to let go. "Keep struggling, Samantha," he whispered hotly in her ear, "Please…"

Sam stopped struggling immediately, gazing up at him with fear in her eyes. The very last thing she wanted to do was encourage him. "Please," she begged, sounding like she was going to ask him to let go of her, "I just want something to eat…"

Dan's only response was to hold her so tightly that she almost couldn't breathe. He reveled in her whimpers of pain. "And what do I get in return?" His cold lips brushed her earlobe, "What's in it for me, my love?"

Despite the fact that she usually thought pretty fast on her feet, Sam found herself at a loss. "Um… I… don't know…" she stammered.

Dan smirked down at her, a vicious gleam in his eyes. "You will be allowed to eat nothing until you can come up with a good enough reason for me to feed you."

"I'll die?" Sam said immediately.

Dan seemed to ponder her statement for a moment. "But if you die, dear Samantha, you'll become a ghost. Just like me. An emotionless ghost, just like me," of course, he couldn't be sure. He was inclined to think that she'd become an angel, but he was playing this game for the long haul. It was better for her to think that it made no difference to him if she was dead or alive.

"Well, why don't you just kill me then?!" She demanded angrily.

"I have been forbidden to kill you," Dan sighed as though a supreme pleasure had been denied him. "Directly, anyway…"

Sam blinked. Forbidden by whom, she wondered. But her grumbling stomach quickly expelled all other thoughts. "I'm much more cooperative when I'm full…" she muttered.

Dan laughed almost condescendingly. "Samantha, you are never cooperative. It's one of the things that draws me to you so."

"Well, I can't fight you on an empty stomach, I'll be too weak…"

In a flash, he disappeared from her side and reappeared looming over the bed. "You have a point… but my desires are attained with or without your… spunk," he smirked. "You'll be given nothing to eat until you can make it worth my while to feed you."

Sam sat up on her knees and faced him, violet eyes filled with tears. "Please…" she begged, hoping her idea would work. "Please Dan…"

Dan's eyes closed as a look of almost bliss passed over his face. "Ahh… begging… music to my ears." He opened his eyes slowly and looked at Sam, placing a gloved hand under her chin and drawing her closer to him. "More," he commanded huskily.

In her head, Sam smirked. "Please Dan…" she implored desperately, "please, I'm _so_ hungry…"

He smirked as he closed his eyes and again, relishing in the sound of her voice. "More."

"I'm so weak… Dan, please…" she continued, her voice growing more pitiful by the second.

Dan raised his eyebrows, catching onto her game. _Oh you clever, clever little girl…_ "I know you can do better than that Samantha…"

She squeezed a few tears from her eyes and sniffled as they slid down her cheeks. "Please Dan…" her voice was soft and low, as though he'd somehow broken her heart. Dan savored it.

Dan smiled sadistically at her then drew a resigned breath. "Very well… I'll return shortly…" He looked at her thoughtfully for a moment before disappearing through the floor, leaving Sam grinning ear to ear.

"Ha ha! Yes!" She cheered her small victory.

There was silence for a moment before Dan floated back up through the floor. "On second thought… mere words are not enough…" he cupped her chin and kissed her heatedly. "Show me," he demanded in a low voice. "Show me how hungry you are…"

Sam's eyes widened as color flew into her cheeks. So he hadn't fallen for it, she should have guessed. It had been a little too easy. "H-How?"

He pressed his cold lips once against her neck and stared cruelly down at her. "Kiss me," he directed, "kiss me like you would _him_."

Tears fell down Sam's face, but they were definitely real this time. She slowly leaned up and wrapped her arms around his neck. She stared straight into his eyes for a moment, letting him see her tears, wishing they would somehow tug at heartstrings she knew he didn't have. She whimpered, wordlessly asking him not to make her do it.

"Come now, my love, would you be so hesitant to kiss Danny?" He sneered.

A sob escaped her unbidden before she carefully pressed her lips to his. It stung. The cold of his skin stung her, but she didn't dare stop. She felt his arms slip around her and pull her closer, telling her that she was being too soft. Sam knew that if he wasn't satisfied with the kiss, she'd still starve, so she kissed him harder. She nibbled hungrily at his bottom lip before slipping her tongue past his lips, shyly exploring his mouth. Dan pulled her closer still, moving his lips fiercely against hers and biting at her tongue. He grinned at her slight yelp. Through his fingertips, he sent small shocks of cold into her back.

"Ahh-ah!" Sam broke the kiss to cry out. "You're so cold…"

"Observant, aren't we, Samantha?" He asked sharply, before disappearing beneath the floor again.

Sam collapsed back into a heap on the bed, overcome with the nagging feeling she'd be crying every time Dan left her presence from now until whenever she managed to escape, which she didn't think was likely to be soon. Sobs wracked her body until she could barely breathe, but she didn't stop. She cried because she did not want to be stuck in this circular dungeon. She cried because she missed Danny. She cried because she hated Dan. But most of all, she cried because she enjoyed his kiss.

After finally gaining control of her emotions, she sat up, making sure to wipe her eyes as she curled up into a ball and waited for Dan to return. Being around him was almost comforting. She'd become so focused on him that she'd have no space to think about anyone or anything else.

Dan returned from wherever he'd disappeared to and speared her with an exasperated look "Dear God, you've not been crying again, have you?" He demanded, a bit irritated before he even heard her answer. "Look, I come bearing gifts, Samantha," he mocked condescendingly, placing a plate of spaghetti (no meatballs) on the night stand.

"I was not crying," Sam asserted, not looking at him. But her voice didn't break, so she hoped he bought it.

"Good." He sat down on the chair again and watched her as she took the bowl of spaghetti and began eating it.

The longer Sam ate, the more self-conscious she became. All Dan did was stare at her, but his eyes never blinked. His cold, fiery eyes never blinked once. It was completely unnerving. She looked down at the fork in her hands and noticed it was trembling. She hadn't even realized that she'd been shaking, but she was. If only he'd just stop staring at her… Sam tried to focus on the spaghetti, which she vaguely noted was very tasty and wondered if Dan had cooked it or if perhaps it had been someone else. It struck her then that she had no idea where she was. With no windows and a false door, she had no way of knowing anything. She rose her face to meet Dan's unblinking, scrutinizing gaze. "Wh-Where are we?" She asked, barely above a whisper.

"It is none of your concern," Dan answered tersely.

"Oh come on," Sam pleaded, "it's not like there's anyone I can tell."

"I have been forbidden to tell you," he deadpanned.

"By who?'

"That," he replied, "is also none of your concern."

Sam sighed and went back to her pasta. Twirling the last little strands of angel hair around her fork, she wondered what would happen now. It wasn't like she and Dan could carry on a pleasant conversation. He was so cold. And evil. She felt dirty, both literally and figuratively and longed to ask for a shower, but she didn't really want to know what she'd have to do to get that sort of luxury. Maybe pleasant, or at least decent conversation, was worth a shot… "Dan…?"

"What?" He snapped.

"Do… do you have any of Danny's memories?"

A flash of confusion passed through his eyes, but his stoic face remained. "Yes. All of them up until age fifteen." He looked down at his hands, which were resting neatly in his lap, and smirked to himself before looking back up at her with feigned sadness. _Ah, the benefits of being a sociopath…_ he thought. "I… I remember the last time I saw you alive, Sammy…"

Sam gulped. "You… you do?"

Dan nodded slowly, still keeping up his fake melancholy act. "We were in the Nasty Burger… Lancer was confronting my parents and you and Tucker were there…" his eyes fell back down to his hands, "when the sauce vat started to overheat… and I tried to grab you…" he lifted his eyes to meet hers, asking for sympathy, "and Tucker… before the blast… I swear, I tried to save you… Please forgive me…"

Sam bit back more tears and crawled into his lap, wrapping her arms around him. Forgetting everything he'd ever done to her until now, she felt genuinely sorry for him. "It's okay…" she gently rubbed his shoulder, "I promise, I forgive you…"

Dan allowed his voice to crack a little, now laughing at her in his mind, "I tried, Sammy… I really tried…"

"I know, Danny," she said sympathetically, "I know you did…"

Dan could no longer contain his laughter. Deep, maniacal mirth burst from his throat as he wrapped his arms roughly around Sam, holding her against him. "Oh Samantha, you are too gullible…"

Sam froze. He'd tricked her. It was so obvious and yet she'd fallen for it! She inwardly berated herself as she struggled to free herself from his tight grip, but as usual, he was not letting up. "You bastard!!!" How could she have fallen for that ridiculous act? She _knew_ he didn't have any emotions. That he has no remorse for her death in his timeline. She struggled harder, frantic to escape his cruel embrace. "You're an evil sadistic bastard!!!!"

Dan merely laughed harder. "Why yes, my love,' he answered, "how kind of you to notice."

Sam glared viciously and slapped him. She punched his chest over and over and over again, somewhere in the back of her mind, wondering where she was getting all the energy from.

Dan continued laughing, her blows not even registering with him.

"I wish you were alive so I could kill you!" Sam screamed, still punching him.

Dan, irked with her emotional outburst, grabbed her by the wrists, "Stop it, my love," he pushed her back into the mattress. Holding her wrists above her head, he pressed his body flush against hers. The shock of cold was almost more than she could bear. "You'd do well to remember," his voice was low and dangerous, "that you _are_ alive."

"I'm not afraid of you," Sam told him defiantly. "And I want to take a shower."

Dan grinned deviously at her. "Only if I get to watch…" he murmured seductively.

Sam kept up her false bravado. "No," she spat, wriggling underneath him.

"Keep squirming, Samantha, you know what it does to me…" he bit almost gently at her neck. He groaned as she continued to fight against his tightening grip. He continued devouring her neck, alternately kissing an nibbling at the pale flesh. Before he'd gotten rid of his humanity, he knew she was angel. He still thought so, but he was dragging her down. Dragging her down to hell where she could be with him. His and his only forever.

"I just want a shower!" She cried angrily, her palm connecting with his cheek in a resounding slap.

Dan merely laughed. "And, my love," he smirked wickedly, "it is a shower you shall have."

**Eh yeah. The next Dan/Sam chapter, I'll bump this up to M. That's why this chapter is a bit short. I promise, I'll try to make the next ones longer!**

**In the meantime, please review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**For those of you that don't know, the first chapter of what was Capitulated is now the second chapter of Captivated. The second chapter if Capt. is now the third and this is what would have been the second chapter of Capitulated. Confused? Don't worry. It's not terribly important.  
**

Danny shot Tucker a somewhat annoyed look as they stood at the stoop of the Manson Mansion. "Ten bucks says they slam the door in my face," he said.

Tucker bit back a laugh. "You're on."

The door was answered by a butler. "May I help you?"

Tucker smiled. Unlike Danny, he was welcome and familiar in the Manson household. "We need to talk to Mrs. Manson."

The butler took a step out of the door way and gestured for both boys to enter. "Right this way." He led Danny and Tucker to a well-lit, almost Victorian parlor, where the form of a slim Pamela Manson sat primly on the chaise, sipping tea.

"Madame," the butler began as he ushered the rather out of place and scruffy boys into the parlor, "Masters Tucker Foley and Daniel Fenton to see you," he announced.

Mrs. Manson's attending maid offered Danny and Tucker a seat and cup of tea, both graciously declined. The maid stepped back and Pamela finally noticed the presence of both boys.

"Hello Tucker," she greeted pleasantly enough. "Mr. Fenton," she said tersely without even casting a glance at Danny. "How've you been, Tucker dear? Are your parents well?"

Tucker's eyes flicked nervously to Danny for a moment. He could tell his friend wanted to get straight to the point, but Mrs. Manson would not state her emergency for 911 without first exchanging pleasantries with the operator first. "I've been pretty good, applying for jobs here and there. Mom's still heavy into charity work and Dad's working most of the time. They're well."

Mrs. Manson nodded. "Good, good. Let me know if you need any recommendations, dear, I'm sure Jeremy would be happy to oblige."

"Thanks Mrs. Manson."

"Now, is there something I can help you with now, Tucker? I hardly think you made the trip all the way out here just to see me." The Manson's had long since moved to the outskirts of Amity Park and now were in possession of a good many acres of estate.

"We were wondering if you knew where Sam is," Danny finally cut in.

Mrs. Manson finally turned to acknowledge him with an icy glower.

"I don't know where she is, Mr. Fenton. I believe she is on one of her trips. For that matter, even if I _did_ know where she was, I certainly wouldn't tell you. You've hurt her quite enough."

Danny suddenly became rather preoccupied with his hands.

Tucker, in an effort to mediate, said, "Well, if you hear from her, would you please let me know? We've been a bit worried about her. She usually lets us know when she leaves."

Mrs. Manson's polite, warm smile returned to her face as her eyes fell back on Tucker. "Of course, Tucker dear." She waved her hand and the attending maid stepped forward again to show Tucker and Danny out.

"We need to search her room," Danny resolved as they stood outside of the mansion, staring up at it.

"Okay."

For all their paranoia of ghosts, the Manson's had never installed any form of anti-ghost shield. Tucker suspected it was through Sam's convincing and Danny was just grateful for it.

"By the way," Tucker said as Danny flew the both of them up to Sam's room, "you owe me ten bucks."

"I'll drop you," Danny said, sounding completely serious.

"Right, debt forgotten," Tucker said, looking down and gulping.

A little while later, Danny sighed exasperatedly. Searching Sam's room was proving to be a futile endeavor. Nothing, not even so much as a thread was out of place. Even her cell-phone was characteristically gone. But he'd tried her phone. No one was answering it. It didn't even ring, so it was probably dead or out of area. Which took Sam out of Amity Park or anywhere in the vicinity. Or it put her in some creep's basement…

Suddenly feeling sick, Danny collapsed onto her bed. The thing radiated Sam, right down to her intoxicating smell. She was all he could think of now. He laughed a little as he realized that "now" was a bit of a lie. She'd been all he could think of for… well, for a very long time. The more he thought, the farther back in time his mind wandered, the more he realized that Sam had been the only girl on his mind since about their sophomore year of high school. Even when he was trying to focus on Valerie. The first time he and Val had kissed, the thing he'd thought of when their lips met was how she couldn't compare to Sam.

"It's no use, Tuck! There's nothing here!" Danny blurted out in frustration. He wanted his Sam back now. He wanted to hold her in his arms, safe from what ever had taken her. Wherever she was, she was terrified, he could feel it. He wanted to comfort her, he'd do anything for it.

Tucker frowned. "Well, there has to be something. She can't have just vanished." To disprove Tucker's point, Danny turned invisible for a moment and then back. "So… maybe a ghost-"

"A GHOST!" The two friends shouted in a simultaneous epiphany.

Danny transformed and almost sped off for the Ghost Zone, but Tucker grabbed his arm. "Woah, Flash, hang on there."

Danny gave Tucker a sheepish grin. "Sorry, Tuck, I'm just worried about her…"

"I know, I am too."

"Do you think Vlad took her?"

"I don't know, I mean, why would he?"

"Use her for a bargaining chip? He has to know how I feel about her…"

Tucker merely nodded. "I dunno, we could check."

"I say we start with him," Danny said. He grabbed Tucker and they flew off to the Specter Speeder.

The ride to Vlad's was a bit tense. Danny and Tucker were both on edge, but where Danny wanted to stay pissed off and tense, Tucker wanted to lighten the mood.

"So…" he began, "you finally admit that you're in love with Sam?"

Danny looked away from the wheel to give Tucker a half-hearted glare. "Not now, Tucker."

"Oh come on, it's at least another hour to Vlad's. Just admit you're in love with her."

"Okay, I'm in love with Sam, are you happy now?"

"Not exactly, but pretty close," Tucker only grinned at the glare he was still receiving from his best friend. "I'll be happy when you finally tell her."

"I'm not going to," Danny whispered sadly.

"WHAT?!"

"You heard me."

"WHY?!"

"I can't, Tuck. She hates me. It's just too late now, even if she ever did love me the way I love her, she certainly doesn't now. She's pulled back from me, haven't you noticed? She talks to you now, but she hardly says a word to me."

"Because she couldn't. She didn't think she could anyway. She thought that you didn't want her anymore, that you just wanted to be with Valerie. She's always loved you, man."

"She has?"

"Yeah. Since about eighth grade. Personally, I'm amazed that she hasn't completely given up on you yet. But yeah, for some reason, she loves you."

Danny's face set in grim determination as his foot pressed down harder on the gas. He was going to find Sam, wherever she was. He had to, he couldn't live without her… He didn't even want to try. She occupied so much space in his mind and his heart that he didn't know if he'd ever love anything or anyone else enough to take her place.

---------------------------------------

"VLAD!!!!!" Danny bellowed as he phased into Vlad's Wisconsin castle. There was no guarantee he'd be there and not in Colorado, but they had to start somewhere. He'd left Tucker in the Speeder as he was still trying to figure out exactly what had happened last time they'd seen Sam, to see if there were somehow any clues.

"Daniel, unless you're here to finally accept my offer and join me, I'd appreciate it if you would a) not scream in my house and b) LEAVE IMMEDIATELY!" Vlad Masters commanded as he appeared.

"Where's Sam?!" Danny demanded, ignoring Vlad.

"I assure you, Daniel, Samantha is not here."

"Yes she is! You kidnapped her!"

Vlad sighed in exasperation. Daniel was always too emotional, too rash. It was his weakness. "While I should never turn such a exquisite and powerful girl as Samantha Manson away should she appear here, I have not kidnapped her."

Danny growled. "You sick bastard."

Vlad smirked and continued, "While I have always known that you had a rather endearing soft spot for her, I would never use little Sammy to blackmail you, Daniel. It would be ungentlemanly. As I said before, she is not here."

"Let me search the house then."

"Certainly not. How stupid do you think I am to let my sworn enemy search my own house? If your precious Samantha is in fact missing as you seem to believe, I suggest you stop wasting your time here and go look for her somewhere else."

"Tell me where she is!" Danny charged up his hands with green ectoplasm.

Vlad nearly rolled his eyes. "I told you, Daniel, I have no idea where she is. Please leave now, or I will have to force you out myself."

"I swear to God, Vlad, if I find out that you have somehow harmed her, I will show you no mercy."

Vlad clicked his tongue. "Tsk, tsk, Daniel… it's really not wise to become so emotionally attached to one person, after all, look what it's done to me."

"My love for Sam is nothing like your sick obsession with my mom!"

"It would seem that way on the surface, wouldn't it, my boy? But really, are our situations all that different? Correct me if I'm wrong, but Samantha is in your thoughts almost constantly. You have dreams about her, both of a…" Vlad stifled a laugh, "sexual nature and a protective possessive one. Your every thought is of her happiness and how you could possibly be a part of it… I see by your reaction that I am right. And really, little badger, it's only a matter of time before Samantha no longer harbors romantic feelings for you and leaves you for someone else and then where will you be?"

Danny's stunned face morphed into a harsh glare. "So what if she does fall in love with someone else?! I'll be happy for her! I'll support her because she is my best friend."

"Don't try to fool yourself, Daniel. The jealousy will eat you up from the inside out until you kill her new lover, yourself or end up just like me: bitter and alone."

"I am nothing like you."

"Of course. Now, Daniel, I will ask you only once more. Get out."

Danny growled, but left. He didn't trust Vlad, but on the off chance he was telling the truth, Danny didn't want to waste unnecessary time looking for Sam in places she was not.

"She there?" Tucker looked up from his PDA when Danny dropped through the roof of the Speeder into the driver's seat.

Danny's only response was a string of curse words drowned out by the roar of the engines taking off.

"So where to now?" Tucker asked.

"Found anything?"

"No… where to?"

"The Ghost Zone."

**Yeah, I know, it's short. I'm sorry. This part of the story should hopefully pick up really soon… in the meantime please R&R! Next chapter this gets bumped to M! **


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5 the first M rated chapter! Dun dun dun…**

**Man, this story is getting increasingly harder to write. And it's only the third chapter… -sighs- Not only are there only TWO characters to work with and basically only ONE setting, but I have to throw myself into extremely dark moods, not sad, just dark. It's not easy. Anyhoo, I promise to finish. And no… Captivated will not depict Danny or anyone outside of Dan's manor. That isn't to say that I won't do it. -smirk-**

**As always, Nonny (Me the Anon One) is the most amazing person alive cuz she's my beta!!! Yeah. And my best friend! Ha! Don't you all wish you were me?! XP -dances around for her luck-**

**Edit! This is what WAS the original third chapter of Captivated, but since I combined Captivated and Capitulated, this became the fifth chapter. Confused? Don't worry. It's not too important.**

**I don't own DP. Duh.**

Before she could blink, Sam found herself transported in Dan's arms, to another room. It was quite clearly a bathroom, but it looked nothing at all like her dungeon room. Pristine white tile covered every square inch, save for the ceiling. A clear glass shower stall was backed up into one corner and a white porcelain sink was placed on the opposite wall, across from a white porcelain toilet. There was also a large tub in the corner next to the sink. Large enough, unfortunately, Sam noted, for two people. Placed on a white stool was a pile of folded black and deep violet silk, which Sam assumed were to be her fresh clothes. A closer look into the shower revealed soap and shampoo, a sponge and razor (she dryly thought that it might come in handy sometime. Just in case). There was also a lone bar of soap next on the sink. But other than that, it did not look as though the bathroom had ever been used.

Dan handed her a towel accompanied with a sly grin. "Well, Samantha?"

She snatched the fluffy white towel from him, "Leave," she scowled.

"Now, now, my love, I'm doing you a favor, you should be willing to do one for me in return. Besides," he gestured to the door, "I can't have you trying to escape me, now can I?"

She glared at him, biting back tears. She had to hold back her emotions until she was at least under the running water. God only knew what he'd do to her if she cried in front of him. Glaring defiantly at him, she removed her combat boots, throwing both of them directly at his head. He laughed, not fazed at all. With grace and ease and the same defiant glare, she removed her fishnet stockings. As she pulled her shirt over her head, she saw Dan's lustful stare and she paused to sniff back tears when the shirt covered her face. The skirt came off next and Sam had never felt so violated in her entire life. This was beyond humiliating. Dan had turned her into nothing more than a dirty whore and no amount of soap would ever make her clean again.

Dan moved behind Sam, not bothering to control his urges anymore. He unclasped her black bra, sliding it down her arms and off of her. Gloved fingers skimmed over her breasts, making their way down to her hips, teasing the waistband of her small black panties. Sam tilted her head back and whimpered sadly. "Samantha," he began in a tone that was a mix of supreme lust and condescending warning, "don't start crying now." Sam nodded and whimpered again. Dan sneered viciously as he felt her trembling against his hands; she was already half his and he knew it. Deciding it would be far more torturous for Sam if he didn't just phase the scrap of fabric off of her and actually slid it off instead, he hooked his index fingers over the lace on her hips and slipped the garment down her long slender legs. As he knelt down he placed a kiss on the back of her thigh, smirking at her stifled sob.

Sam stepped out of her underwear and hurriedly dashed into the shower. The tears turned on the same moment the hot water hit her back. She didn't even bother to hide the fact that she was crying as she covered her face with her hands. She'd never felt so degraded.

Dan leaned against the tiled wall, a smug expression covering his features as he watched Sam crying in the shower. His eyes wandered over her pale body and he licked his lips in anticipation. If he hadn't promised himself that he'd draw it out and torture her, he'd have thrown her into the bed already and had his way with her. "You had better stop that crying, Samantha, or I will be forced to join you in there," he told her with an air of nonchalance. Sam's eyes widened at him in mortification, and she pressed herself against the back wall of the shower.

"No! I'm not crying!" She protested.

Dan pretended to ignore her as he started to move from the wall. "On second thought, maybe I'll just join you anyway."

"No, please!" Sam cried as she held out her hand to stop him. She quickly grabbed shampoo started washing her hair, rubbing her fingers through it furiously.

Dan relaxed against the wall and continued watching her hungrily. It wasn't that he couldn't easily

control himself from simply taking her, it was that the desire to keep control was dwindling. Quite aware that she had no clue how of enticing she really was, he drank in every curve on her svelte body. She was a tad on the scrawny side, there was no getting around that, but her delicious neck and long slender legs more than made up for her slight lack of hips and breasts.

Sam picked up the razor and stared at it for a moment, wondering if suicide would do her any good. Deciding it wouldn't, she quickly ran the razor over her legs, careful not to cut herself, as she had a feeling that the sight of her blood would only be a turn on to Dan. She finished shaving quickly then squeezed a bit of soap onto the sponge and hastily began scrubbing herself.

Dan, though previously disappointed that she hadn't tried to slit her wrists, stared intently as she ran

the soapy sponge over her body. Had he possessed emotions, he was sure he would have been jealous of that sponge, but as it was, he didn't really care. Though he wouldn't have objected to replacing the sponge with his hands.

Rinsing herself off, Sam stepped out of the shower and nearly slipped in her haste, only to be caught in the fluffy white towel. Turning, she was met with Dan's harsh red eyes, and her breath hitched in her throat. Even if he was an evil perversion of the man she loved, it was thrilling to be looked at as though she were desired. She closed her eyes as Dan leaned his head down and sipped lightly at her neck, his hands running over her from outside the towel as he dried her, and Sam could feel his frigid touch even through the thick fabric. She wanted badly to protest, but it was a bit hard to do when he kept hitting all the right spots, making her shiver less out of fear and more from pleasure.

"There, see?" Dan asked softly and almost tenderly against her neck, continuing to dry her off and paying more attention than was necessary to her breasts. One hand slipped all the way down her stomach until it was resting dangerously on her lower abdomen and Sam gasped in anticipation, but he made no other move. "That wasn't so bad, now was it?" He began drawing away from her, a smug grin tugging at his lips.

Sam shivered, but said nothing. She was still trying to recover from the thought of where his hand had almost been.

Dan abruptly pulled away from her, taking the towel and the pleasurable sensations with him and leaving her completely exposed. His forked tongue ran over his lips. Oh, did she ever have quite the fantastic little body… "Now hurry up and get dressed before I do something you won't like," he commanded sharply.

Sam glowered at him, but held back more silent sobs, wishing that she wasn't wishing he were still touching her. "Go to hell," she spat, making her way over to the stool with her fresh clothes folded on it.

Dan mock yawned. "Been there, done that," he remarked offhandedly. Sam almost rolled her eyes at him.

Holding up a skimpy black thong, Sam quirked an eyebrow at her captor. "What the hell is this?" She demanded, far more bravely than she felt.

Dan quirked an eyebrow right back at her. "What does it look like, Samantha?"

Sam continued to glare daggers at him as she slipped the scrap of fabric on. It was far better than nothing. Next was a black bra, not that much different from the one he'd relieved her of earlier. After that came a pair of black silk pants with deep violet cuffs which felt so good against Sam's skin she nearly groaned. Last but not least was a loose, black silk tank top with violet trim.

"Th-thank you," Sam stammered out of habit as she relished in the feel of the silk against her skin.

"Yes, well, since you're going to stay here for all of eternity, I suppose it shouldn't be entirely unpleasant," he said, voice full of suave apathy, still not really caring if her stay was unpleasant or not, but she did look so very fetching in silk.

Sam gasped as Dan's arms slipped around her middle and he roughly pulled her against him. They floated up through the ceiling and were back in the dungeon room.

Dan set Sam on the bed and leaned toward her menacingly, eyes gleaming with lust. "You owe me, Samantha," he purred huskily.

"For what?" She asked curtly as her eyes narrowed.

"I fed you and I let you shower. You owe me."

"I gave you what you wanted!" She protested. "Aren't you satisfied yet?!"

Dan gazed at her intensely, cupping her chin between his index finger and thumb. "My love," he began, "I will never be satisfied, not even when you are writhing underneath me, screaming my name and begging me not to stop."

Color rushed to Sam's face and her eyes widened in fear. "Th-that won't ever happen," Sam exclaimed, unsure if she was trying to reassure herself or defy Dan. Neither objective seemed to be reached.

Dan laughed, "Of course it will, Samantha," he leaned toward her, presumably to kiss her, but she dodged and slipped away from him, running across the room. Duplicating himself, Dan followed her as she tried to escape, each time a new duplication caught her as she got away.

Sam fell to her knees in the middle of the room, then sat hugging them against her chest, wishing for a way to go back through the floor. She wanted to get away from here. She wanted to get away from Dan and be back with her sweet Danny. Even if he was probably engaged to Valerie by now and had no use for her, the torment of seeing them together would be far easier to take than what Dan was doing to her now. "You're just like Vlad!" she accused acidly as she wrapped herself into a tight little ball.

Dan's eyes flashed angrily. One thing he hated above all else, was coming face to face with the Vlad in him. "WHAT did you say?!" all the duplicates growled together, merging back into one as he stomped toward her.

"You're just like Vlad," Sam repeated, false bravado clearly evident in her voice, as she raised her head to stare up at him defiantly.

Dan moved so quickly she didn't have time to react. He slapped her, leaving a clean red hand mark across her cheek. "Samantha, I will warn you once and once only. I am nothing like that bastard. Do you understand?!" Sam could only whimper and nod in response, burying her head back in her knees.

Dan knelt, tenderly scooped Sam into his arms bridal style, and nuzzled her neck. He pressed a cold kiss against her wounded cheek, immediately cooling the stinging red welt and replacing the pain with a far harsher, yet entirely more pleasurable sensation. "Oh Sammy, I'm sorry," he whispered, though the apology was obviously fake. "I didn't mean to hurt you," he lied.

Sam was too scared and still too much in shock to call him out on his lie. She flopped over meekly on the bed, like a rag doll when he placed her on it. She shrank into herself when he leaned over her. "Please…" she begged submissively, "please don't…"

Dan rose to his feet and laughed. "No, my love, not today. But soon. Very soon." It was so obvious: she was breaking. He hadn't really expected it to be so soon, but the little scene in the shower had rattled her to the core. It was far more evident than he knew she wanted it to be. He knew she still longed to escape him, for her precious Danny to come rescue her, but he'd make her change her mind. There was simply no question of it. "Well, Samantha, since you've been such a bad, uncooperative little girl, I bid you adieu," he slipped halfway through the floor, "…for now."

Sam leaned over the bed, looking underneath, like a child looking for a monster. She stared intently at the floor, waiting for Dan's inevitable and immediate return.

She stayed in that position for a half hour, or what she assumed was a half hour. Time didn't seem to work right in this place.

When it was quite clear that he wasn't coming back for awhile, she leaned back against the headboard, still tense, body aching from the pressure. She refused to let her guard down. And she really didn't want to start crying again, so she sighed and tried to think of anything but Danny or what had happened in the shower. She felt like she'd been raped. She'd never wanted anyone to see her so exposed; she was even wary of Danny. She shook her head. She was not going to continue on that train of thought. Since it was likely to happen again, there was no use dwelling on it.

So instead of thoughts that challenged her resolve, she considered the possibility of an escape. It wouldn't be easy and it wouldn't come quickly either. She'd have to at least earn some of Dan's trust before she could even attempt it. And it would have to work. If it didn't work, he'd kill her. Earning his trust would be no easy task either. So far she wasn't even allowed to shower without him accompanying her and then she was immediately returned to her room. The only she'd be able to get out would be to somehow slip past him in the bathroom, but he'd probably easily catch her again. So far, escape just wasn't a possibility.

She began resigning herself to life there, in that crazy bleak room. A life of waiting for Dan to take her, futilely waiting for a best friend she _knew_ she couldn't count on to come and save her. She laughed dryly at the chains hanging on the wall. Oh how fitting that she should end up this way. She wanted Danny to want her and in some distorted way, he did, but it was warped so far beyond what she'd had in mind that it was sick and made her stomach hurt.

She lay her head down on the bed and closed her eyes. She wanted to sleep, just to escape this place, even for a little while. Sleep came restlessly, but came nonetheless.

After a short nap, Sam was shaken roughly awake. "No… Dan…" she moaned. "Leave me alone…"

"Sam? Sam? What are you talking about?"

Sam's eyes flew open and she found herself face to face with Danny. "Oh, drop the act, Dan…" she rolled over, turning away from him. "I know you're just trying to freak me out."

"Sam," Danny looked at her with concern. "Sam, it's me."

"Prove it," Sam said indifferently.

"Just a few weeks ago, I accidentally walked in on you when you were studying and you freaked out and yelled at me that your roommate might have been there, remember? And you were studying for your lit test… Edgar Allen Poe."

Sam sat up, turned around and stared at white haired, green eyed, lanky college age Danny Phantom. "Danny?" she asked tentatively, still shrinking back from him, just in case.

Danny threw his arms around her. "Yeah, yeah Sam it's me. I'm so sorry I wasn't here sooner." Sam sobbed into his shoulder, not able to speak. "Oh God, Sam, what's he done to you?! He hasn't… he hasn't…?"

"No," Sam answered hoarsely. "He didn't."

Danny held her tighter. "Oh thank God…" he breathed in relief. "Sammy, I'm so sorry. I'll kill him. Once and for all, I'll obliterate him into nothing. He won't ever hurt you again."

"Danny, Danny please, just take me home now… I just wanna go home."

"Okay, Sam," he kissed her cheek reassuringly. "I'm gonna take you home now," he scooped her up into his arms and made to fly off.

Sam's eyes opened like a shot when she felt as though she were dropped back into her bed. She bit back more tears. It was only a dream. She knew that. Danny was not ever going to come for her. He didn't know she was gone; she was sure of that. Curling herself into a ball, she sobbed. What if Dan was just going to leave her to die? Leave her in there until she was insane? She wanted him to come back!

She stopped crying and blinked a moment, wondering how to handle the thought that she just had. Wanted him back? Surely that wasn't right. Sam whimpered. No, it was right. She wanted him to come back. Being alone with her thoughts was the last thing she needed right now. She wanted Dan back. "Dan," she called out. "Dan… please… I'm hungry," a lie, "Please! Dan…" her voice grew soft and pitiful and her cries turned into sobs and her sobs into incoherent whimpers.

After what seemed like ages of twisting and writhing in mental anguish on her bed and calling out for Dan at random intervals, he appeared, carrying a lavish tray of food. He barely set it down on the nightstand before Sam launched herself on him. She kissed him fully on the mouth, shocking him, to say the least.

Dan grabbed her around her waist and threw her back onto the bed. "What is the matter with you?" He demanded almost indignantly.

Sam looked up at her captor with wild eyes. "I missed you," she muttered as though to herself.

Dan raised an eyebrow at her. "If this is some feeble attempt at a trick to earn my trust so it will assist you in whatever little escape plan you have concocted, you can expel the thought from your mind, Samantha," he said harshly, "it will not work."

Sam blinked at him for a moment, processing what he'd said before her eyes were filled with a wounded look. She averted them to the tray of food, not wanting him to call her pain a display of emotion and use it against her. All through high school, she'd prided herself on her "Goth indifference." Upon entering college with Tucker, the completely besotted Danny, and the equally smitten Valerie, she continued to develop her apathy and hated that she'd been so weepy since Dan had captured her.

"I brought you food," he stated superfluously, "Your veganism is highly inconvenient."

"Sorry," Sam responded quietly, placing the tray on her lap. Staring at the plate of pasta and vegetables for a moment, she looked back up at Dan. "Do you eat, Dan?"

"I have no need for food, Samantha," he was annoyed, "I'm dead."

"Can you eat? Just for fun?"

Dan quirked an eyebrow at her, obviously regarding her question as complete nonsense. "Fun?"

"Well, just for the pleasure of it?" Sam corrected, delicately slipping a forkful of pasta into her mouth.

"No."

"You should," she ran her tongue over the prongs of the fork, absently licking it for excess sauce. "It's really tasty."

Dan stared at her intensely. "I'm sure you are," he said, not bothering to correct himself.

Sam blushed and looked down at her food, spinning her fork through the penne noodles. "Do you want some?" she asked almost inaudibly.

"No," Dan deadpanned.

"Are you sure? It's really good."

"Samantha, stop," he commanded.

Sam speared a couple of pieces of pasta and waved them in front of his face, wondering vaguely where her new cheeky attitude was coming from. "You don't want to even try it?"

Dan rolled his eyes. "No, my love," he deadpanned, "Thank you," he muttered sarcastically.

Sam persisted, "Please, just one little bite?"

Dan glared at her. "Will it shut you up?"

"Yes."

He grabbed her wrist and forced her to feed him. Closing his eyes slowly, he realized to food was actually quite good. Suddenly remembering that chewing and swallowing were also part of the eating process, he pulled the fork out of his mouth and did so. Opening his eyes, he noted Sam's smug grin. He'd let her have her small victory for now. But she would not keep her control over him. She simply would not.

**Okay, so yeah… this is kinda the first really mature thing I've ever written, so please let me know what you think!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

**And we're back with Danny! XD I'm sorry for the confusion of this fic, I hope that you guys will be okay with it now. This chapter is a little bit dark, just warning you guys! Enjoy!**

"No real world items detected."

It was about the fourth time that an monotone, electronic version of Maddie's voice had chimed that. Tucker was trying to remain optimistic, but Danny was losing his cool.

"YES WE KNOW! SHUT UP, YOU STUPID MACHINE!" He screamed at it.

"No real world items detected."

"ARGH!!"

"Danny, dude, take a chill pill. We're not gonna find Sam any faster if you keep screaming at the on-board computer."

"No real world items detected."

Danny's fist fired up with ectoplasm.

"Danny…" Tucker warned. "If you destroy the Speeder, we'll never find Sam."

Danny sighed. "You're right… Run the scan again."

"Are you sure?"

"Tucker, run the scan again."

"No real world items detected."

Danny growled, but tried a little harder to keep his cool.

Tucker looked up from the computer, over at his best friend. He was starting to worry about Danny. Tucker had always known that Danny loved Sam, he could pinpoint almost the precise moment that Danny had fallen IN love with her. But his behavior now… it was beyond friendship, beyond love, beyond anything. It was starting to border on obsession and he had the feeling it was only going to get worse.

"No real world items detected."

Tucker wasn't sure, but he could swear Danny's eyes flashed red. "Danny, maybe we should give it a rest for today, calm down, get some food, or some coffee… or tea. Nice soothing tea. Maybe have a little talk with Jazz…"

"I don't want to talk to Jazz!"

"Look, man, you're not thinking straight. You need to go get a good night's sleep, calm down, get some rest and then we can go find Sam."

"Tucker, she might be dead by then! We can't waste any time! She could die! Someone could kill her! This isn't like those times she ran off, she's in _danger_! We can't lose her, Tuck. _I_ can't lose her."

"Danny, Sam's strong. She's not going down that easily."

"Even I can barely handle some ghosts. Sam wouldn't stand a chance against them. I know she's strong, but I don't want to risk it. I can't live without her ,Tuck."

Tucker met Danny's eyes, blue puddles of tears desperate and pleading. "Danny," he said firmly. "Let's at least go home and get something to eat, let Jazz know what's going on."

"Okay," Danny finally consented. He was glad that Tucker was being reasonable. He knew that he sure as hell couldn't do it. There was something washing over him in waves, a feeling of terror and desperation and homicidal rage. Whoever had taken his Sam was going to pay dearly at his own hands. He would send a message to the entire Ghost Zone that Sam was off limits. She was not to be so much as looked at or even thought about. Sam belonged to him.

He froze. With him. With him. She was not his possession. Then why did it feel like she was? He couldn't live without her, he knew that for a long time. He loved her, but he had never thought of her as his. They were not even together. This feeling of desperation and possession was scaring him.

"Danny?"

Shaking his head, Danny looked over at Tucker. "Yeah?"

"You spaced out, c'mon, let's go."

"Right," Danny turned the Speeder around and zoomed off.

"Danny, are you sure you don't want me to drive?"

"I'm fine, Tucker, really."

"Well… it's just… you're going the wrong way," Tucker began to fear the worst, but he tried to shove it back into his mind. Danny knew the Ghost Zone probably better than most of the ghosts who lived in it. Danny might have known something Tucker didn't, but he had to make sure.

"No, I'm not," Danny replied flippantly, a tone starkly contrasting his earlier mood.

"Danny, the shipboard computer says that the Fenton Portal is that way," Tucker pointed to the left, the fear was no longer simmering in his chest, but boiling and he knew in his heart what Danny was doing, but his mind would not accept it.

"I know."

"So you're going the wrong way."

"No, I'm not."

Tucker's eyes widened as he realized Danny was doing exactly what he was afraid of. He realized his best friend was no longer functioning in the realm of reason and was going to stop at nothing to find Sam. If Tucker didn't intervene, it was quite likely that Danny would run headlong into his own death. "Danny, I'm really sorry I have to do this man," he pulled a Fenton Thermos from his backpack and pointed it at Danny, "but it's for your own good."

"Tucker! NO!" Danny cried in protest as he was sucked into the cylindrical device.

Tucker took the wheel and set the Thermos in the passenger's seat, gazing at it forlornly. "I'm sorry, buddy, it hurts me more than it hurts you."

The thermos shook and nearly fell onto the floor. "Tucker! When I get out of here you are so going to get it!" Danny's muffled shouting echoed. "I'll kill you, Tucker, I swear it!"

Wincing, the fear bubbled up in Tucker's ribcage again. He'd known Danny for a VERY long time and he know when he was being serious. He sighed, "Danny, listen to yourself. Do you really want to kill me?"

"If it means I'll find Sam…."

"Daniel James Fenton! You're acting insane! Now, we _are_ going to go home and rest. We _are_ going to think about this logically and I _am_ going to tell Jazz what's going on with you and you _will_ talk to her."

Inside the thermos, Danny sighed. Tucker was right. He was losing it, but every moment that he was away from Sam was killing him. "Okay."

Tucker breathed a sigh of relief. At least there was some part of Danny that was still reasonable. Another feeling was bubbling in the back of his mind: the incredible sinking feeling that he was going to lose both of his best friends in this ordeal, no matter what happened.

"Oh shit…" Tucker breathed as he entered the Fenton's basement.

"What is it Tuck?"

Tucker stopped the Speeder and slipped out of the door, "Nothing…" he barely responded to Danny.

"TUCKER!" Danny bellowed, shaking the thermos again. "What's going on!?"

"Valerie?" Tucker began warily, "What're you doing here?"

"Where is he!?" Valerie demanded. She was in her full battle suit, her gun ready to fire.

"Where is who, Val?"

"Don't speak to me like that! And you know who I'm talking about! Where is Danny?!"

By now, Danny had picked up on what was going on and was wrestling even harder to free himself from his cylindrical prison. "TUCKER! LET ME OUT! THIS IS BETWEEN ME AND VAL!"

"Why are you protecting him, Tucker? He's a ghost. He's insane! He needs to be eliminated or else he'll hurt someone!"

Tucker's only response was to silently stare her down because in some part of his heart, he knew she was right, at least a little bit. Danny was dangerous. Jazz had once confided in Tucker that she believed that even though Danny was only half ghost, he was still prone to obsessions. When Tucker had asked her what she thought his obsession was, she offhandedly rattled off a few possibilities: Justice, their home, Amity Park, the portal, Vlad's destruction, perhaps Casper High. Then she'd paused and told him that she thought the most probable option was Sam. And Danny's behavior now that she was missing seemed only to confirm it.

"Valerie," Tucker murmured with strained patience, "You need to leave, now. Before you get hurt."

"Is that a threat, Foley?"

"No. A warning."

Valerie glared sharply at him before turning her head to the Speeder. "Hey Phantom!" She called, "Where'd you put Sam? You lock her up for your own… personal use?"

Danny's eyes glowed a fierce green and burst out of the thermos, breaking the windshield of the Speeder. "HOW DARE YOU, YOU BITCH?!"

Tucker winced and shrunk away slightly from Danny's rage. He hadn't wanted to consider what Valerie suggested as a possibility, but… hearing her say it out loud only made it seem more plausible. The question was whether or not Danny was insane before Sam disappeared. Tucker knew Jazz suspected that Danny had been on the edge for along time, but Tucker had always excused Danny's odder behavior as normal teenage hormones. Sometimes Tucker himself felt a little crazy. But now… maybe Danny had done something to Sam. The moment the thought crossed his mind, he shrank even more in guilt. How could he doubt his best friend?

"I love Sam, I love her more than anything and I would NEVER do anything to hurt her!" Danny roared, "Why don't any of you understand! I LOVE SAM! I want to find her! That's all and if I have to fight you, Valerie, I will."

Valerie didn't shrink back from Danny's rage, she stood her ground and raised her gun. "Bring it on, ghost."

"Valerie, since you started ghost hunting, every time we have met, I have held back," Danny told her with an entirely eerie calm. Tucker felt the hairs on the back of his neck prickle. "This time, do not expect that courtesy."

"Same to you," Valerie spat venomously, "You're a monster. You kidnapped Sam and now you're trying to put us all through hell by going on a wild goose chase! For all we know you killed her!"

"NO!" Danny protested, tears brimming in his green eyes.

"Yes you did! You killed her! You kidnapped her and when she refused you, you killed her!"

"No! Stop it, you're wrong!"

Tucker could only watch, frozen in fear and pity as his friend broke down. He would have done something if he could move or if Danny was floating near the ceiling.

"I was right," Valerie continued her verbal abuse, "wasn't I? She found someone else, she stopped waiting for you and when you tried to convince her to come back to you, she said no! So you KILLED her!"

Danny covered his ears with his hands as tears fell from her eyes. "STOP! You're wrong! I didn't kill my Sam! I love her! You're WRONG!"

"What'd you do with her body, Danny?!" Valerie demanded sadistically, "Did you throw her in the Ghost Zone or did you give her a proper _human_ burial!"

Losing control of his powers and using all his energy to block out Valerie's accusations, Danny began sinking slowly to the floor. "You're wrong, you're wrong, you're wrong!"

Valerie fired up her weapon and aimed it at the heap that was Danny on the floor when Tucker stepped in front of him.

"Val. Enough. You know he didn't do anything to Sam. Just because he's half ghost, that's no reason to send him into a psychotic break! You're being cruel!"

"Tucker, how do you know he didn't do anything to Sam?!"

"Because he's my best friend, Val."

"He's a ghost, he doesn't have any friends."

"Oh yeah? He's got me, Jazz, and Sam. And for awhile, we thought we had you, but I guess you're just too damn stupid to know a real friend when you've got one."

"Okay, call him your friend if you want," she pointed viciously at Danny, who was sobbing and randomly crying out for Sam, apologizing, "But how do you KNOW? Do you KNOW for a fact that he didn't do anything to Sam? Are you that sure of his mental state? I'm sure you and _Jazz _have discussed this before, but he's obsessed with her, Foley. Anyone can easily see that. You have no idea what he might've done to her and just because you want to deny it, doesn't mean it's not possible," she paused, "and you know that, don't you?"

"Shut up, Valerie, go away now. You've done enough damage, don't you think?"

"It's eating at the back of your mind, Foley, and you know it. Doubt."

Tucker looked at his weeping best friend. He'd never seen Danny so upset, so broken.

"Sam… please… I'm sorry…." Danny cried.

Tucker's face hardened. He couldn't doubt Danny right now, Danny needed him and Sam needed him too. "Valerie, you need to leave."

Valerie merely smirked. "Not until I've completed my mission."

"Which is?"

"The elimination of one Danny Phantom."

Danny stood up, fists glowing green with ectoplasm. "I have a mission too, Valerie. To find Sam and right now, you're getting in my way," he said sternly. "You might want to leave," his hands crackled with energy.

Tucker looked back and forth between Valerie and Danny, hesitating. He knew Valerie would not leave until she or Danny were dead and he knew Danny would do anything to get Valerie out of his way. He knew that Danny was far more powerful than Valerie and could easily kill her. He knew Danny was not thinking clearly and would not hold back against Valerie as he had done before. He also knew that he couldn't let his best friend become a murderer. "GET OUT!" Tucker bellowed at Valerie. "Valerie, you need to leave, NOW!"

"No," Danny said calmly, "she wants a fight. She's going to get one."

"VALERIE GET OUT!"

"Valerie, my dear," a suave voice came from behind her, "that is quite enough for today."

"Mr. Masters!" Valerie exclaimed almost reverently as she whipped around to face Vlad Plasmius. "But I haven't destroyed him yet."

"GET OUT, GET OUT! BOTH OF YOU NOW!" Tucker screamed almost frantically. He didn't know if he was saving Danny from Plasmius or Valerie and Plasmius from Danny.

"Bring it on Vlad!" Danny dared.

"Trust me, dear, you've destroyed him," Vlad smiled wickedly, ignoring Tucker. He shot a violet blast at Danny, causing the white haired halfa to double over and shield himself. "Good luck with finding Samantha, Daniel. Last I heard she _was_ still alive…" Vlad laughed evilly and wrapped his arm around Valerie and with a swish of his cape disappeared.

"What the hell is going on down here?" Jazz appeared in the doorway. '"I heard a lot of shouting."

Tucker only looked at her desperately and then back at Danny. He didn't know what to do. Danny was curled into a ball, a green ectoplasmic energy shield encircling his body. Weak crying could be heard from inside, but his face was covered.

Jazz ran to Tucker and embraced him. "It'll be okay, Tuck… we'll calm him down and try to reason with him."

Tucker wrapped his arms around Jazz, "Oh God, I hope you're right…"

**Hope you all liked it! Thanks to all my reviewers and special thanks to Nonny cuz she is the awesome. Please read and review!**


	7. Chapter 7

**I'm going to take this small moment to do tell you guys a few things about this fic. First of all, this is not one of those OOC-Dan fics where Dan suddenly regains the ability to love and romances Sam. I believe that is completely out of character and basically just turning him into Danny. There's no challenge in that, not for me. The challenge comes out of keeping him in character and as an emotionless, but somewhat horny badass. **

**That is all. Please enjoy this chapter! -grins-**

"You're bored."

Sam opened one eye drowsily to see the blurry form of Dan sitting next to her bed. "G'way…" she groaned, burying her face in her arms.

"I've caged you, my little canary," Dan murmured as though he were somehow sympathetic to her plight, "and you are bored."

Sam moaned and tried to ignore him. "Leave me alone…"

"So I have made a decision," Dan stated matter-of-factly, ignoring her pleas, "I am no longer going to confine you, my pretty bird, to this room."

Sam immediately sprang up. "You mean that?"

"Yes, you are now free to roam the manor as you please," he made a grand gesture of standing up and opening the door that had previously been false. "And before you go getting any ideas about opening windows or doors that lead to the outside," he warned almost playfully, "they will merely lead you back to this room, where you will again be imprisoned until I see fit to come and release you, understood?"

Sam barely nodded in agreement, her eyes far too transfixed on what lay outside the dungeon door. They were indeed residing in a manor, perhaps even a palace. It was nothing like her cold, granite prison at all, but full of light and warm blues and grays. Something in the colors and atmosphere still intimated at malevolence, but at least it was warmer than the dungeon. And there was so much space!

"Can I assume my humble abode pleases you, my love?" Dan asked, pretending as if he cared. Sam just glared at him as she sauntered out the door, making Dan laugh. He grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her violently into him. "Samantha, you certainly did not think that I would not expect payment for your new freedom, now did you?"

Sam turned her face away. That was exactly what she had thought. Why? She didn't know. He was Dan after all and did nothing without demanding something in return. She could only pray that he would not ask for something she couldn't give. Yet.

Dan trailed absently intense circles dangerously low along Sam's abdomen. "Make no mistake, Samantha, I am not kind. I will give nothing to you without asking for something in return…" His hand slipped pleasurably too low and smirked as Sam's breath caught in her throat. "You know that." He wrenched her closer to him, ignoring the fact that she couldn't seem to breathe at all, and forced a searing kiss onto her lips. She whimpered against him which only incited him to kiss her harder, his hand phasing through her silken pants, his cold fingers dancing over her thong in places only a lover should touch.

Sam was unable to breathe, she kept trying, but Dan was sucking all the air out from her lungs… and all of the will from her heart. "Dan… please…"

Dan grinned against her mouth in satisfaction, she was begging again…desire and anticipation built within him. He enjoyed this chase, but wouldn't mind one bit if she were to completely surrender to him now. "Please what, Sammy?" He taunted, allowing her a small gasp of air. He would make her tell him exactly what she wanted or it would not be given to her.

"Let me go…" her voice cracked with stifled sobs. "Please let me go…"

Snarling loudly, he shoved her forcefully against the wall before phasing through the floor.

Sam slid down to the floor, pulling her knees up to her chest, pleading with herself not to cry. She tried to console herself, telling herself that it wasn't possible to hurt his feelings, but she couldn't help but feel guilty as though she'd caused him some sort of pain. She wanted him to return to her so that she could kiss him and not feel so lonely and awful.

Make him not feel so lonely anymore as well. He'd changed a lot over the years, but she supposed being crammed into a tiny thermos would do that to anyone. He'd slimmed down significantly, as though he were being starved, his hair was white and shorter and no longer seemed to flame. He looked more like Danny than he had last time she'd seen him. There was more melancholy in his presence where before there was only anger. But something about that was just entirely too alluring, mostly because it reminded her so much of the air Danny had about him every now and then. Her head fell hard against the door frame. "Oh great, now I'm developing Stockholm Syndrome…" she muttered bitterly.

It couldn't really be helped. She didn't know if it was her own imagination or if it was real, but she saw flashes and flickers of Danny in his fierce red eyes. Dan was all she would ever have of the boy she really loved; she knew it. Dan was wrong when he said Danny was obsessed with her too. It wasn't possible, she repeated it as a mantra in her mind as she sobbed into her palms. Danny had Valerie, beautiful, feisty, caring, brave Valerie. What would he possibly want with a scrawny, plain little thing like herself?

But Dan wanted her and there was something so thrilling about the desire in his eyes. No one had ever looked at her like that, or touched her like he did or kissed her that way or anything. He wanted her. And she loved him; he was her Danny after all. The one who hadn't been yet corrupted by Valerie. Dan was still all hers and she wanted him. She rose carefully, steadying herself in the doorframe, wiping her eyes of salty tears. She whimpered softly and called out, "Dan! Please… Dan, I'm sorry! Come back!"

Dan's sensitive ears twitched and perked up as he registered Sam's soft cries and a smirk twisted over his lips. She was nearly broken. He honestly hadn't expected it to be so soon. He knew that even though she wasn't a ghost, she was obsessed with Danny and he understood that she would take him in any form she could get him. Very soon she would belong only to himself and never think of his ridiculous counterpart again. His smirk widened when he heard her whimpering again. Perhaps it was time to put her out of her misery… or increase it. He chuckled lowly to himself.

"Oh what do you want?" Dan asked exasperatedly as he phased up through the floor.

"Dan!" Sam cried with delight and flung her arms around his neck, kissing him squarely on the lips.

Dan merely smirked again and evaporated from her soft, loving embrace.

Sam whimpered desperately. "Dan, you're so cruel…" She didn't understand why he was playing with her. She knew he was sadistic, but she wanted him and he wanted her so why wouldn't he just take her? The mere thought of his touch made her stomach flip and his kiss… oh God, his kiss… the anticipation of his lips was enough to make her eyes go dark with lust. "You're so cruel…" she repeated.

"And that is why you adore me so, my little canary," his disembodied voice taunted. "If you want me, though, my love, you will have to find me…" Dan imagined that were he anyone else, playing such games with Sam would have been a bit of a catch twenty-two, sacrificing her for the sake of the games or the games for taking her, but as it was, Dan was patient when it came to this. The chase was nearly as exhilarating as the end result. He would not trade watching Sam squirm for anything, not even Vlad's demise.

Sam stepped tentatively out into the hallway and it was only then that the enormity of the place hit her. It was _huge._ Her parents' mansion could have fit into it (the part she could see, anyway) at least three times. Hallways. Endless hallways and innumerable doors. She wondered if maybe she could find a different place to sleep besides the dungeon and if she did, would Dan let her stay there. She didn't see how it would make too much difference. He could still molest her anytime he wanted, she thought bitterly. Oh, he was so cruel.

But she was letting him get away with it. Hell, she was Samantha Alexandria Manson. She took crap from no one. NO one. Except Dan. She took it from him because she knew that he was all of Danny she would ever have… and though she was loathe to admit it, some part of her enjoyed the way he treated her. Malicious as he was, he still left her somehow wanting more of him.

Sam tiptoed down the hallway, somehow feeling as though she were sneaking around. Or sneaking up. She laughed a little to herself. Sneak up on Dan? Not likely. She came to a room with the door slightly open. Enough that she could see in. It was Dan's bedroom. She could just tell. It smelled so much like him, so much like Danny… and the bed was unmade. She giggled softly, Danny never made his bed either. She wandered in, looking around. "Dan?" She called out tentatively.

Wandering farther in, she found a mirror. It surprised her, really. But what surprised her more was the person she saw staring back at her in the glass. Her hand touched her own cheek, watching fascinated as the image did the same thing. There wasn't really anything different about her. Nothing that hadn't been changed for awhile. Since high school, she'd developed curves most women would envy and softer, more mature features. Her hair was shorter now, but her bangs were less blunt. No, none of that was new. What scared her was the obvious madness in her own violet eyes. That had not been there before. She shook her head and then looked back at her reflection. It seemed to help, clearing her head.

"I love what you imply by looking for me in my bedroom, my love," Dan's voice came from behind her.

Sam whirled around to see him smirking at her. She threw herself into his arms, but he evaporated again.

"Ah-ah-ah. I'm merely a duplicate," he informed her, standing in the doorway now. "Did you honestly think it would be that easy?" He chided. "No, my little canary, we will be together here soon, but not now."

Sam bit her lip to hold in a sob and left the room slowly, sorely tempted to throw herself on Dan's luxurious looking bed.

She grinned to herself as she wandered through the halls. She'd never find Dan. She realized now that that was what he wanted, to keep her looking for ages and ages until he saw fit to put her out of her misery. So she decided to stop looking for him.

Exploring the mansion, she found little of interest. Mostly everything was a bedroom or an empty room and Dan was nowhere to be seen.

"Oh finally…" she breathed when she finally stood before two grand and intricately carved double oak doors. Pushing one of them open, she was greeted with an enormous library. "Must be the Vlad in him," she muttered softly. The library was huge and wondrous and it absolutely had to possess at least every book in existence, if not also ones that had once existed or were yet to exist.

Wandering through the stacks, she noticed something peculiar about the books. They were not arranged as they usually were in libraries. She smiled to herself. Pulling a few of them out, she confirmed her suspicions. They were organized Danny's way: in reverse alphabetical order according to the first word of the book. Sam sighed dreamily as she ran her fingers along the spine of each book, remembering when she and Danny were in high school. She would sneak in to his room while he was in the shower and rearrange all the books on his bookshelf, then she'd sit on his bed to watch as he noticed the change right away and almost obsessive-compulsively arranged them in his proper order, usually before he was even dressed. He'd turn around after he was done, and glare playfully at her while she just grinned innocently back. God, he was so cute. She missed him.

"He has Valerie," she muttered to herself, "What does he need you for, you coward? Valerie isn't afraid to be with him, to tell him how she feels. She's not afraid of losing him. He loves her and she loves him and… he doesn't need you!" Sam angrily shoved books into the wrong order. What she wouldn't give to be back with him, just to be his best friend again. She'd settle for that. "Ugh" she yelled at herself hatefully, "At the very least, Valerie would have tried to fight Dan, but you didn't, did you? You're such a weakling, Sam. You don't deserve him," she muttered bitterly, continuing to jam the books in the wrong order. This always drew Danny out, perhaps it would do the same for Dan.

"Why have you stopped searching for me, my love?" Dan's still disembodied voice asked, dripping with honey to disguise his anger and impatience. He expected her to be calling for him desperately again.

"I don't want you!" Sam called in the general direction of the ceiling. "I want Danny!" It was a half lie. She did want Danny, but there was still something about Dan…

"I will cure you of that," his voice responded self-assuredly. It paused. "You've been rearranging my books," he accused, materializing before her.

Sam smiled as if she knew something he didn't. "I figured that would draw you out. You're just like Danny."

"First I am Vlad and now I am Danny," Dan replied, "You're going to have to realize that I am neither, I have become my own being, Samantha." With a few waves of his hand all the books were back in their rightful order.

"You are nothing," she spat, "You are nothing but a combination of the worst of both of them."

"You make it sound like it's a bad thing," Dan responded coolly.

"You're just garbage, all the junk and trash of their personalities, all the stuff that needed to be thrown away!" Tears brimmed in Sam's eyes and she blinked them back.

Dan's calm, flippant demeanor vanished almost instantly, "Samantha, my love, you should watch what you say," he said with strained patience, "it might get you in trouble."

"You're just an accumulation of hate and sin-" her tear filled eyes widened in shock as Dan's mouth crashed hard into hers. "Dan… stop…" she begged.

"No," he muttered huskily before devouring her mouth again. He bit sharply a her bottom lip, snaking his tongue into her mouth, reveling in her desperate whimpers and muffled protests, pulling her to him as tightly as he could. Sam pushed and struggled against his grip, even going so far as to kick him, but the more she fought the harder he kissed her. She tasted divine, especially to such a demon of hell who craved heaven, or the very least the corruption of it. The moment she surrendered to the kiss, he pushed her violently away.

"See?" She cried breathlessly, "You're just evil!"

His hand splayed gently in the small of her back and held her tenderly against him. He nibbled softly at her ear, smiling at her shivers. He knew that she feared him most when he was kind. "You want evil, my love?" He sank his fangs into the smooth, delectable skin of her neck, scooping her quickly into his arms so that she couldn't resist him. "I'll show you just how evil I can be."

Sam yelped desperately, fearing the worst. He was going to rape her, he was finally going to rape her and she had no means of stopping him, not even her own willpower. She choked back sobs and moans of pleasure ad he continued to nibble at her collarbone. "Dan please… don't do this…" He soothed the wounds he'd just caused with soft kisses and Sam fell limp in his arms. She was vaguely aware that he carried her out of the library and down the hall the way she'd come.

She was shocked back to reality when he threw her carelessly onto a bed. His bed. Curling her knees up to her chest, she braced herself, eyes shut tightly and muscles tensed. After a moment or two, when she finally realized he wasn't touching her, she opened one eye.

Dan was standing in the doorway, glaring harshly at her and almost visibly fuming.

Sam immediately felt bad again and she reached out her hand to him, but he turned on heel and walked out the door. She broke down in tears, from relief or terror or sadness, she had no idea, but the tears came and she could not stop.

After a moment, she lifted herself off the bed and tried the door. It was fake. The doors could be changed at Dan's will.

Sam fell back onto the bed and curled herself up into the sheets. Clutching one of the crimson-colored pillows to her chest, she buried her nose in it, inhaling deeply. Naturally, the pillow radiated of Dan and was somewhat comforting and disturbing to Sam all at once. She hugged the pillow tighter, nuzzling it and wishing somehow that it were Dan.

As she wondered how long Dan would leave her alone in this room, it occurred to her that it seemed she was destined to be abandoned by everyone.

Flashes of Danny, smiling and kissing and holding Valerie drifted agonizingly into her head. Her mind insisted on being cruel. The couple had been mercilessly affectionate, even in Sam's presence, though she was positive Valerie knew of her feelings for Danny. Hell, everyone except him seemed to know. There were even a few times that Valerie would wink or smile smugly at Sam as she clung to Danny. Sam never said anything to Danny of this because she knew he would deny it or defend Valerie.

Sam desperately wanted to make him take sides between her and Valerie, but she was afraid of what side he would take. So she began purposefully withdrawing. It was the only way to save herself. As much as she wanted to be around Danny, she could not stand seeing him and Valerie fawning over each other. She left their friendship before he could leave it. Of course, he'd already proven that he wanted to escape it before that time.

There was one instance that stuck out in her mind and would forever and ever. Danny'd done something she didn't even think he was capable of: a ghost had attacked as they were on their way back to her house. Danny was being the gentleman his mother had trained him to be and walking her home before his date with Valerie. Sam was well-trained in martial arts and anti-ghost weaponry and she had a thermos, but this ghost seemed too powerful for her to handle on her own. Danny helped her, but as soon as his phone went off, he was gone, leaving Sam in the middle of a fight with the ghost that had murder in its eyes.

She'd bit back her tears at that moment and called Tucker, screaming and pleading with him to come and help. He showed up and while she had the ghost distracted, he'd sucked it into a thermos.

Her mind flew back to the exchange between them after the fight.

"_Where's Danny?" Tucker asked, "Wouldn't his ghost sense have gone off?"_

"_He _was_ here. He left. Valerie called and he left."_

"_In the middle of the fight?"_

_Sam could only nod. "Y-yeah…" she choked out. "He left."_

"_He just abandoned you? You're sure?"_

_Sam glared angrily at Tucker, "He didn't come back, did he?!" She demanded rhetorically of him. "He hates me."_

_Tucker's eyes widened. He was definitely gonna have to have a little chat with Danny. "Sam," he said seriously, "Danny does not hate you. He loves you. I'm sure he didn't mean to just leave like that."_

"_He hates me, Tucker," Sam insisted. "I know he does."_

"_Sam, I'm sure he didn't mean to just leave you," Tucker repeated, "He thinks so highly of you, maybe he thought you could handle it on your own?"_

_Tears streamed down Sam's face silently. "No," she said calmly, "he knew. He just didn't care."_

Sam lifted her hand to wipe away the tears and hugged the pillow tighter against her body. Dan was wrong. Danny didn't need her, he wasn't obsessed with her and he would never come looking for her. Tucker would look for her, but he could only do so much without Danny's cooperation. She wanted Tucker, she wanted her brother. She'd always considered Tucker as family, as her brother or cousin. She wanted him right now, so he could hug her, rub her lightly on the back and assuage her insecurities and fears. But he wasn't there. No one was. For all she knew, even Dan had completely abandoned her.

**Hope you guy liked it! Please feed the starving author and review! Because reviews make Blue happy. And a happy Blue writes. And when Happy Blue writes, you get more chapters! XDDD**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

**Okay, you pushy, pushy people. Here is the next chapter of Captivated. We're back with Danny and things aren't looking so good… mwahahahahahahahahaha!**

**Hope you all enjoy the chapter!**

"Danny?"

Danny continued to stare blankly ahead, nursing the rim of his tea mug with his index finger. He didn't even make any movement to acknowledge that he'd heard Jazz's voice.

"Danny?" Tucker waved his hand in front of dead blue eyes, "Dude?"

The halfa still didn't move, he was lost in his own world. Both Jazz and Tucker could see that he was shutting down, losing it.

"Danny?" Jazz asked again.

"What?!" Danny snapped.

"You need to talk," Jazz said. "You almost killed Valerie, you would have if Vlad hadn't showed up; and if he hadn't left you probably would have done some serious damage to both of them. Danny, we understand that you miss Sam, we all do, but you can't go flying off the handle."

"Watch me."

"Danny! You scared the hell out of Tucker! Your best friend, your own best friend was afraid of you! You almost killed someone… Danny. You need to listen to us now. You need to calm down."

"NO! You listen! You guys don't understand! You want me to sit here and calm down, but Sam might be out there, being raped or beaten or dying or de-" he choked, "We have to find her! I love her and I can't live without her! I won't! You're so concerned about Valerie, she wants to kill me! So does Vlad! Anything that might have happened to them would have been in my self defense! I love Sam and she's all I care about right now, so either help me or stay out of my way."

"Danny…" Jazz began slowly but firmly, "I'm going to ask you a question and I need you to answer me honestly, understand?"

Blue eyes looked at her skeptically, but he nodded his consent.

"Are you obsessed with Sam?"

Danny's eyes widened. "WHAT?!" He sputtered. "What?! N-no! Of course not! I love her!"

"You visit her at night?"

"Well yeah, but that's just to make sure she's safe… if you guys lived out of town, I'd do the same for you."

Jazz and Tucker both gave him disbelieving looks.

"I would!" He insisted.

"You think about her a lot?"

Danny nodded slowly, "But I love her, why wouldn't I think about her?"

"What if she started dating someone else?" Tucker asked.

"She wouldn't," Danny replied stubbornly.

"But what if?" Jazz persisted. "Danny, she's an attractive, smart girl."

"I'd be fine…" Danny said tentatively.

"Danny…" Tucker warned. "Tell the truth."

"I'd hate it! I'd hate it, okay! I'd wanna kill him!"

"And would you?"

"YES!" Danny's hand immediately flew over his mouth and he shook his head vigorously. "I mean… no…"

"Danny… Jazz and I have had a theory, for a while and… we think that even though you're only half ghost, you still have some ghostly tendencies. One of those being obsession."

"And we think you're obsessed with Sam," Jazz finished.

Danny covered his ears with his hands. "STOP IT! Stop saying that! I _love_ Sam! Obsession is dangerous and I would never do anything to put Sam in danger! Stop saying that!"

Jazz put a hand on her brother's shoulder, trying to get him to sit back down. "Danny, it's not your fault. We know you love Sam, that's why we're telling you this. We know you don't want to hurt her or anyone else, so you need to sit down and relax. Sam will be fine until we find her. She's strong, Danny, you know she is."

"I know… but… I need her…" Danny mumbled as he slunk back down into the kitchen chair.

Jazz wrapped her arms around him. "It's okay, Danny…" she whispered as tears streamed generously down her Danny's cheeks. "It's okay…" She bit back her own tears as sobs wracked her brother's body. If he shook any harder, she feared he'd cause an earthquake.

"Danny," Tucker put his hand on his best friend's shoulder, "We'll find her, I promise."

Danny said nothing as he abruptly pulled himself from Jazz's embrace. Stepping back he faced his best friend and his sister, he clenched his fists and his jaw set resolutely.

Tucker bit his lip and Jazz gasped as they looked at Danny. He was still in human form, but his eyes were green and so hazy that his pupils had all but disappeared. The dark, sinister green glow seemed to be spreading even into the whites of his eyes and tears still slid down his cheeks, but he was no longer sobbing. His breathing was completely normal. Jazz and Tucker watched helplessly as he transformed and flew out of the house.

Jazz gave Tucker a worried look. "Do you think he'll be okay?" She asked quietly, not sure if she wanted to hear the answer.

Tucker took Danny's place in her arms, smoothing a hand up and down her back. He placed a small kiss on her cheek and said, "He's probably just going to blow off some steam. In the meantime, we should try to figure out who might've taken Sam."

Jazz smiled at Tucker, the realization of exactly how strong he was only now hitting her. She was trying to be objective and analytical as always, but it was so hard for her when Danny was involved. He was her baby brother. But it appeared Tucker was more than prepared to be strong enough for both of them. She smiled a bit sadly, she'd have to one day return his favor. "Thank you, Tuck," she murmured.

Standing up and pulling her with him, Tucker gave her the best grin that he could, praying with all his might that Danny would come back in one piece.

"I gotta…" Danny muttered to himself as he flew haphazardly toward the outskirts of Amity Park, "I gotta… keep it together…" His hands began glowing bright green and he forced them to stop. "Shit… now I can't even keep control of my powers!" He growled angrily. To blow off some steam, he blasted a nearby tree, but it didn't help. Danny sighed hopelessly to himself. "Oh, it's no use… I need Sam."

Almost absent-mindedly, he blasted a few more trees, hoping to release the build-up of his powers and regain control, but he couldn't. Pinching himself, he exclaimed, "Come on, get it together!" But all he could think of was Sam. While he was sitting here falling apart, she was in danger. "She's not dead…" he mumbled, "I'd know if she was dead… but what if she's being raped? Oh my god…" his head fell into his hands, "if I just had it to do over again, I'd tell her every minute that I love her…"

He started shivering uncontrollably. The cold built within him, despite his attempts to control it. He tried with all his might to stop it, but two identical blasts of ice shot forth from his hands, forming two columns of ice on either side of him.

"Sam… Sam… my Sam, why…? Why did I ever leave you? I'm so sorry… I'm so stupid. I deserve to die…" he felt a tightness building up in his lungs as the tears came prickling back at his eyes. "SAM! Please!" He called out, "I love you!!!!! SAAAAAAAAAAAWAHOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!" Her name dissolved into a powerful ghostly wail, clearing even more trees.

Danny fell unconscious and collapsed in a disheveled heap on the ground.

A few hours later, Danny awoke. It was still daylight, but the sun was beginning to dance slowly down behind the clouds. Danny glared at it. It was happy and yellow, casting pink and orange beams of light across the sky. It mocked him.

"I don't have time to waste arguing with you," he muttered at it, before kicking off and flying back to his house.

Upon nearing FentonWorks, he heard sirens. Panic swelled in his chest and spread throughout his entire body, reaching through his fingers and down to his feet. His hands started glowing green again, but he stopped them.

"DANNY PHANTOM!" A voice sounded through a megaphone. "PLEASE COME DOWN! WE HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS FOR YOU!"

Danny blinked at them, muttering to himself of his choices. Deciding it would be better if he nipped it in the butt now, he descended down to the ground, where he was immediately cuffed.

"You do know that's pointless, right?" He asked dryly. "What do you need to know?" He saw Jazz and Tucker running up to the crowd of police cars and he shot an exasperated glance at them.

"Where are you keeping Miss Samantha Manson?"

"WHAT?" Danny demanded.

"We believe that she has been kidnapped by a ghost, you're the first logical choice. Especially since you have been seen with Miss Manson on several occasions."

"Oh, you have GOT to be kidding me!" Danny exclaimed. "You guys are a bunch of IDIOTS!" He bellowed. "I didn't take Sa-Miss Manson! For God's sake, I just helped her out a couple of times."

Tucker and Jazz looked at each other warily. "Didn't Valerie accuse him of the same thing?" Jazz asked.

Tucker nodded. "Yeah, but Valerie's turned into a complete bitch."

Jazz was almost shocked by Tucker's harsh word, but… he was partially right. "Do you think that maybe…?" she didn't dare finish her question, fearing saying it out loud might make it really true.

"We can't doubt Danny right now. If he says he didn't kidnap her than he didn't kidnap her."

"Tucker… that's a little naïve, don't you think? I mean… what if Valerie knew something? She is after all the only one he's really been hanging around these past few months. Maybe she figured something out. And now the police are questioning him…"

"Jazz, you can't seriously think that Danny would EVER hurt Sam?"

"Well, not intentionally. But he was ready to kill Valerie. Maybe it was to shut her up…"

"Jazz!"

"Tucker, I'm just trying to look at this from every angle. Danny's obviously not sane, we don't know what he's capable of when he's like this…"

Tucker sighed. She might've had a point…

"You have no evidence," Danny yelled at the police, but to Tucker, it seemed directed at his own heart. He felt so guilty for doubting Danny. He'd known Danny since they were kids, and he would NEVER do anything to hurt anyone. Especially not Sam. Danny would walk barefoot and blindfolded into Hell for Sam.

Jazz felt a pang of shame at Danny's words as well. He was right. They really had no proof that Danny had done anything to Sam, other than the rantings of a jealous and vengeful young woman and Danny's own obsession. But although Danny had shown signs of the beginning of madness since he'd gotten his ghost powers, he'd seemed relatively stable up until Sam had disappeared. It just didn't seem logical that he would kidnap her. But then again, Danny was obviously not functioning in the realm of logic. He was becoming more primal and animalistic every second that Sam was gone. Jazz wondered how long it would be before he completely lost coherent thought…

"I didn't take her! I don't know where she is! LEAVE ME ALONE!" Danny bellowed at the police surrounding him.

"Very well, Mr. Phantom, but don't think this is over…" The policemen left, grumbling about how they should have just been able to take him in anyway, even though they had no proof either way of his guilt.

Once the squad cars were clear of the streets, Danny ran to Tucker and Jazz, throwing his arms around his sister, but he pulled back when Jazz stiffened and didn't return his embrace. Danny gripped her shoulders and looked her square in the eyes. "Jazz…" he began warily, "you don't believe them, do you? You know I wouldn't do anything to hurt Sam… You don't seriously think that I would kidnap her, do you?"

Jazz didn't say anything, she merely turned her head from her brother's piercing green gaze.

Tucker put a hand on Danny's shoulder, "Dude, we know that you'd never do anything on purpose to hurt Sam…"

Danny wrenched his shoulder from Tucker's grasp and stumbled away from his friend and his sister as though they had the plague. "NO! You guys think that… oh my god, you think I hurt Sam! You do! You believe Valerie, don't you? You think I- you think I…" at the thought of actually doing what they accused him of doing, Danny fell to the ground and colored the asphalt with the contents of his stomach. Tears began streaming from his eyes again, same sliding down his cheeks, others falling into the puddle of vomit below him. "I would never… never… I love you, Sam… please believe me, I love you…"

Jazz took a cautious step toward her little brother, who'd actually been taller than her for quite some time, kneeling down and smoothing her hand over his back. "It's okay, Danny, let it all out."

Danny yanked himself from Jazz and continued his sobbing, occasionally pausing to gag a little.

"Danny…" Jazz pleaded.

Ignoring her, he just kept muttering Sam's name over and over again, crying and demanding that Jazz and Tucker leave him alone.

Tucker stood a few feet away, clenching his fists. "STOP IT!" He commanded angrily. "Danny, just shut up. I'm sick of you playing some martyr. Yeah, we think you MIGHT have done something to Sam, on accident, that's no reason to fucking lose your lunch, man! We want her back just as much as you. I want her back."

Danny lifted his head to glare angrily at Tucker. "I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING TO SAM! EXCUSE ME FOR WANTING TO PUT MY TRUST IN YOU, MY BEST FRIEND!"

"There you go again," Tucker muttered venomously. "Acting like it's all about you. MY SISTER is missing and all you're doing is puking your guts out and crying, acting like you had nothing to do with her disappearance."

"I DIDN'T!" Danny protested.

"You may not have kidnapped her, Danny, but it's YOUR fault she's gone."

Danny stood up angrily, and stomped over to face Tucker. "WHAT?!"

"You were spending so much time with Valerie that Sam thought you hated her. She started pulling away from all of us, even me, just because you were ignoring her. But you didn't even notice, you just kept on ignoring her. She was torturing herself, Danny. She wouldn't eat for days, she wouldn't leave her house for days, just because she was so damn sure you didn't love her. It's all your fault!" Tears clung desperately to Tucker's eyes, trying not to fall, "You think you're the only one who's hurting now that she's gone, but you're NOT! It's killing me! Before you ever even moved to Amity Park, I promised to always protect her, to always be there for her, well now I CAN'T! You took my best friend away from me!"

"ARE YOU CRAZY?! Sam has always cared more about you. You're the one she's ALWAYS run to whenever something was wrong. She never trusted me. She's always loved you more."

"SHUT UP!" Danny didn't even have time to duck before Tucker's fist connected with his face. "SHUT UP! You're doing it again, you're playing the goddamn martyr and I'm fucking tired of it, Danny!"

Danny clenched his fist at his side and began charging it with green ectoplasmic energy. Once he was satisfied with the ectoplasm in his hand, he began raising his fist to Tucker.

Jazz's eyes widened in horror. "DANNY NO!" She threw her arms around her brother's waist, holding his arms at his sides. "Danny, you'll kill him! DON'T!" She could feel him tensing, but he made no move to escape her. Jazz could feel the anger surging between the two boys. They were doing nothing but staring each other down, but there was never more hatred between them.

Danny glared down at Jazz, who stared up at him with fear-widened eyes. "What? Gonna protect your lover from the big bad ghost boy, Jazz? You think you can stop me?! If I wanted either of you dead, you'd be dead by now."

"Let him kill me, Jazz. Sam's already dead because of him."

"She's not dead!" Danny protested.

"You killed her a long time ago, Danny," Tucker spat. "You know what really did her in?"

"No," Danny spat back, "Enlighten me, Tuck."

"A few weeks ago. A ghost attacked when you were walking her home and you got a call from your precious Valerie and you completely abandoned her in the middle of a fight with a ghost that probably could have killed her!"

Danny's face paled and his eyes widened to nearly twice their size. "But… bu-but I… no…"

"YES, Danny. Sam could have been killed then and it would have been all your fault. I tried to stick up for you, tell her that you must have had a good reason. That you thought so highly of her maybe you thought she could handle it on her own, that you care so much about her, you'd never leave her in the middle of a fight you thought she couldn't handle. And she told me that you did know she couldn't handle it, you just didn't care.

"Sam's never been a stable person, Danny," Tucker continued, "her parents never showed her the kind of love she wanted, she's always felt inadequate and then… you… you just took a hammer to her already fragile heart and then ran it through a damn BLENDER and you didn't even CARE! You just kept doing it, over and over again! And she LET you. I was never able to figure out why." Tears were now falling freely down Tucker's face as well as Danny's.

Danny's war-face softened into a sad, dejected one. "I… I'm sorry, Tucker. You know I'd never mean to hurt Sam…" He relaxed a little, no longer in battle mode and felt Jazz's arms release him, but she still stood between him and Tucker.

Tucker wiped the tears from his face, his tense shoulders visibly slackening. "I know… I know man, I'm sorry… I didn't mean to go off on you like that… 'specially didn't mean to deck you…"

"It's okay. A lot of what you said is true… and I probably deserved to be hit," Danny chuckled a little.

"I didn't mean all that stuff about you taking Sam from me and you killing her and stuff, though. And I don't… you know, resent you or anything. It just sucks 'cause I know that I love Sam a lot and I know that you love Sam a lot and…"

Jazz cracked a small half smile as she stepped out from between the two boys. They hugged each other quickly and just like that, all was normal between them again. Jazz marveled at their friendship. Danny and Tucker were really close and she hadn't really noticed until just now, but they were. Their friendship was strong enough to weather almost anything and Jazz had the feeling that it was going to be tested even further in the near future.

**I feel like I'm churning these chapters out too fast now… what do you guys think? XD Anyway, now that you've read, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW! I heart my readers! But I can only heart them if I know who they are! **

**Big thanks to Nonny, as always, cuz she's my beta and she rocks.**

**Til next time!**

**Blue**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

**Between you and me, ladies and gents, I think it's about time we had another shower scene, ne? **

**-insert devious smirk-**

**And, for all you people who have been sitting there going "Well, Danny going crazy and Sam going crazy and Dan being horny is all well and good Blue, but damnit! Where's the plot?!" I promise you there is one. XDDD And a teeny tiny little bit of it is revealed in this chapter! W00tyeah!**

**Oh yeah! Big BIG BIG thanks to Nonny because sometimes my er… inexperience gets in the way XD**

**Also, I heart my anon reviewer Amitra. I would have told her through email, but she didn't provide one, so yeah! Thanks Amitra! And thank you to ALL my reviewers/readers! I LOVE you guys!**

Dan finally reappeared in his own room when Sam was sleeping. Her hair was a mess, like she'd been running her fingers through it over and over again, almost tearing at it. She appeared to be in desperate need of some food and a shower. The atmosphere about her was wild and her face looked as though she was in severe torment. Dan had to admit that the whole scene was almost painfully arousing.

He sat on the bed next to her and stroked her matted hair, smoothing it back so that she didn't look like such a mess. He wanted to wake her up and do a thousand and one completely unspeakable things to her right now, but he absolutely had to have her consent. Otherwise, he was in violation of the rules and if he violated the rules, then his precious Sam would be taken from him and he'd never see her again.

And rape was definitely against the rules, or else he wouldn't have left her all alone in that room. He would have ravaged her. It was becoming increasingly difficult to control his body's desire, as much as he tried to fool himself that it wasn't. He growled low in his throat out of frustration. She was driving him crazy! All he needed was for her to say yes once. Just once and she was his.

Dan admitted that playing mind games with her had been fun for awhile, but he was growing very irritated with her resistance. She should have submitted to him by now. His little canary was proving to be more stubborn than he had remembered and it was rather irksome. He wanted her NOW. He'd waited far too long to have her, his obsession festering and boiling over all that time. He had to have her, had to break her so she would no longer control him. If he couldn't shake her hold over him, then he would gain one of his own over her.

His fingers tangled in her short black hair, for one small moment pretending he was actually fond of her. Really, he just liked touching her. It was just as simple as that. When he had kidnapped her, he almost hadn't recognized her. The last image he'd had of her was a scrawny, boyish fourteen year old girl in dark clothing. He hadn't expected to find a slim, deliciously curvy woman with a soft, sophisticated black messy bob, make up perfectly applied and prettily sharp features. Indeed, had her height not topped off at lovely, petite five feet, four inches, she might've been mistaken for a model. Seeing how she had grown up only made him hunger for her more.

Dan growled again, only this time out of anger and jealousy. Danny was in complete denial of the perfection that stood right in front of him. Even now, if he showed up, Sam would fall into his arms and beg to be taken away from Dan's awful presence. Despite this, Dan smirked in satisfaction. _He _was the one who owned Sam now. Danny had been too late. _He _was the one who had Sam in his bed, who would soon have her in his arms to ravish and touch in ways he had only known in fevered, tormented dreams.

Suddenly, he tensed, gripping Sam's silky black hair just a little too tight. She was doing it again. Controlling him. Whether or not she was conscious of it, he blamed her for it. Oh, how he longed for the days when he had razed the world. Anytime he thought of Sam, he blew something or someone up. It worked for him.

He glared at her sleeping form, her face was so relaxed and content. He snarled. Dan wanted her awake so he could torture her as she tortured him.

"Wake up, my love," he said, voice fully of feigned gentleness.

Sam eyelids fluttered, but nothing more and she rolled onto her stomach, flinging her arm haphazardly around Dan's waist. "Mmm… don't stop… Dan…ny… please…" Obviously Sam was in the middle of a _very _good dream.

Dan smirked. "Close enough, my little bird…" His fingers left her hair and began sliding the straps of her tank-top away.

"Dan," came a stern, warning voice.

Dan immediately drew his hand away and groaned, whipping around to face Clockwork with an angry glare. "What do you want you old-" he stopped as Clockwork shifted into a smirking child, "young fool?"

"When I allowed you to kidnap Sam, there were conditions. You know very well why I am here."

Dan rolled his eyes, "You heard her. She even said please."

"DAN!" Clockwork bellowed, morphing into an adult, "she's not even AWAKE!"

Snarling, Dan conceded and moved away from Sam. "Satisfied now, you self-righteous bastard?"

Clockwork smiled smugly. "Quite. You would do well to remember the rules, Dan. I would hate to have to take Samantha from you."

Dan just sneered. "Go away. You're trespassing."

With a self-satisfied wave of his staff, Clockwork disappeared.

Whipping around, Dan snarled at Sam's sleeping form. "Wake up, damn it!" He snapped, ripping the blankets from her body.

Sam's eyes shot open and shone with something akin to happiness at the sight of Dan. "Dan…?"

Grabbing her by her arm, Dan yanked Sam out of bed. "You need a shower," he said, teeth clenched.

"Wh-what?" Sam stammered, still trying to rub the sleep from her eyes and still wondering if the return of Dan's presence was a good thing.

"You look like hell. You need a shower," Dan repeated tersely. If he couldn't touch her, at least he could watch her and pretend that he was.

"How long have I been in here?" Sam asked, catching a glimpse of her gaunt reflection in the mirror. She barely recognized herself, she looked like she was hung over and starving, which were both somewhat true. Her mind was still too foggy with dreams to realize that Dan was being so harsh with her. Or maybe she was just used to it now.

"Time is stupid," Dan muttered bitterly.

"Whaaa?" Sam asked groggily, "are you saying you can't tell time?"

Dan whirled around and raised his hand as if to slap her. "Shut up!"

Sam cowered before him. "Sorry…" she murmured softly.

Dan lowered his hand and sighed. He'd known from the beginning that he was not going to get anywhere with Sam by acting inhuman. He had to pretend to be somewhat compassionate toward her or else she would continued to fight him and he'd never have what he wanted. "Me too…" he replied, but it was obviously forced.

Sam hazily waved him off, somewhere in the back of her fuzzy mind she knew she should call him a liar, but she was too tired and too unawake to care.

Annoyed that his attempt to show her a little humanity had been completely disregarded, Dan pulled her against him, his face mere millimeters from hers. "Listen here, Samantha, I'll pretend to be nice if you pretend to buy into it, got it?" He was holding on so tightly to her wrist that could only she whimper and nod in pained agreement. "Good girl," he leered, dragging her down through the floor.

They had traveled to the same white bathroom she'd used before, only now about three feet off of the floor there was a splash of color in the form of a row of violet tiles along the wall. It was a nice touch, she mused dreamily as she sleepily fumbled with the tap and eventually managed to turn on the water to start a shower.

Dan smirked as she turned to face him with sleep-heavy eyelids. It was obvious to him that she wasn't even half-awake, which made her far more pliable and receptive to his advances. Grinning wickedly, he slipped his fingers down to the hem of her silken shirt and deftly removed it from her body. A quick flick of his thumbs and her pants were gone. A searing kiss weakened her knees and distracted her as he liberated her of her bra. He slid his tongue between her lips and made her gasp, but the kiss wasn't enough to wake her fully. He removed the black thong he'd given her earlier then released her from his imprisoning kiss then turned her and pushed her in the direction of the shower.

Sam stopped in the doorframe of the glass shower stall, turning and regarding Dan with sleep-laden violet eyes. "Well?" she asked expectantly.

It took Dan a moment to process just what that question was asking of him, and the moment the meaning hit him he phased out of his jumpsuit, cape and anything that might have been underneath and shoved her under the water, the force causing her to crash into the tiled wall. Closing the glass door behind him, he took Sam into his arms, pressing his body flush against her back. He heard her gasp in surprise, but she immediately sank drowsily into his tight embrace giving him the access he desired as he dipped his head and devoured her neck, nipping and sucking on the tender flesh hungrily.

Sam could do nothing, but sigh and moan as Dan ran his palms roughly over her body. She even went so far as to giggle as his teeth grazed the nape of her neck. Her mind was still in a daze and all she could focus on were the hands and mouth which tortured her body in ways she never wanted to end.

"Let me have you," Dan coaxed huskily as his hand roamed lower, "let me touch you in ways you've only dreamed of…"

Trying to come up with any response at all other than a sigh of pleasure, proved impossible for Sam at that moment because all she was aware of was one strong hand massaging her breasts and the other so tantalizingly close to-

"Let me make you mine, Sammy," Dan continued temptingly, his voice low and seductive. "Let me take every inch of you." He smirked wildly as he felt her entire body slacken against his. He desired her most in this pliable and helpless state when she was so easily bent to his whim.

Sam groaned and tried to garble out her consent, but all that came out was sleep and pleasure-addled nonsense, which was not helped at all by long fingers tracing themselves down between her legs, feathering lightly, begging for entrance.

"Let me control you, my little canary…"

The remembrance of that nickname broke the spell and caused Sam's eyes to fly wide open. The water suddenly seemed ten times colder and the man behind her a hundred times more than that. "NO!" She screamed. "Get away from me!"

Dan snarled and slammed her back against the tile wall, much harder this time and crushed himself against her. His left hand held both her wrists above her head as the fingers of his right hand cupped her chin. "I will make you sing for me soon, my little canary, or scream…" With a heated glare, he pushed away from her in what Sam interpreted as disgust, but was really just a desperate attempt to stop himself from violating the rules. "Get dressed," he hissed sharply. "Now!"

Sam clenched her jaw to keep herself from crying as she got dressed in an outfit that was very similar to the one Dan had just taken off of her. She had never come out of a shower feeling so dirty. She cursed herself for not waking up sooner and realizing what Dan was doing to her. It hurt her to think that she had betrayed Danny. Worst of all, it hurt to think that she couldn't get rid of the desire to have Dan do it again. Her skin still tingling in all the places Dan's hand had been, and it wasn't bad. It felt so good.

"Hurry up!" Dan snapped.

She must have been standing still because she jumped at the sound of his voice. "Dan, please…" she begged helplessly, trying to stop him from being cruel to her.

"Please _what_?" He hissed. Gliding easily over to where she stood, only half-dressed. He clenched his hands around both of her wrists. "What do you _want_, Sammy? Do you want your precious Danny to come and save you? Do you want him to take you far away from me?" He continued in a dangerous voice. "Do you want your white knight to come and save you from the big bad villain?"

Sam only stared at him for a moment. No, she didn't want Danny. Danny didn't want her, so why should she waste her time? It wasn't like he was ever going to come for her. She doubted that he was even looking. "No…" she murmured quietly, "that's not what I want…"

"Then what DO you want?" Dan bellowed angrily.

Sam's eyes darted to the floor and then back up at his. Her face held an expression of innocence, but her eyes belied it. "You…" she answered almost breathlessly.

"Be careful what you wish for Samantha," Dan warned. He was giving her a chance to back out, only to show something that looked like sincerity, "you just might get it." In a flash he was against her again, smirking to himself as her breath hitched, pleased that her eyes remained locked with his. He nearly trembled in anticipation.

"Dan please… I want you… please…" she begged. Sam didn't care anymore that he was evil or heartless or anything. He was Danny. He was her Danny. She would never have to share him with Valerie or any other girl or any other living soul for that matter. She'd finally resigned herself to life in his manor and something in her had snapped. She'd been feeling so dead before Dan had kidnapped her, going through the motions and pretending everything was okay with Danny. It got weary. But now, she was being presented a chance to feel something, even pain and she was going to take it. "Just take me, please…" She struggled to hold his gaze and keep her body from trembling in fear and desire.

Dan's lips curved up into a wicked grin as he slid his hands up her body, testing her reaction. "Well, you did say please…"

Sam's heart was racing impossibly fast and she was sure it was going to give out, as Dan wrapped his arms around her. She was terrified, so sure that he was going to just take her right then and there with none of the formalities or little preamble, just cold hard emotionless sex. In some way, that's how she thought she wanted it to be, but not here. She almost breathed a sigh of relief when he turned both of them intangible and shot up through the ceiling.

When Sam finally dared to open her eyes again, she was sitting on the foot of Dan's bed as he loomed over her, red eyes sparking with lust and desire. She whimpered as she gazed up at him, pulling her knees up and leaning away from him.

"No crying, Sammy," Dan warned coldly as he leaned into her and stroked her cheek. He waited until he felt she had calmed then moved forward and kissed her hard, making her tremble. Making her weak as his mouth trailed kisses from her cheek to her jaw line and her ear.

Sam's hands rose to Dan's chest, but she couldn't remember whether or not her original intention was to push him away, as she found his chest to be still bare and almost warm, as if a real human heart beat within, Danny's heart, or so she deluded herself, and instinct took over. She raked her nails down against his skin, daring a small smile as he hissed in pleasure.

Sam was caught her off guard as his teasing kisses stopped and his mouth suddenly crashed down on hers, prying her lips open almost cruelly. Dan snaked his tongue into her mouth and the last vestiges of reservation flew from her mind as she returned the kiss with equal passion and equal hunger and much more need. Sam was only vaguely aware that all her clothes were suddenly gone. Her mind couldn't comprehend of much else other than Dan's kiss and his cool hands as they roved her body, caressing in the most delicious of ways, filling her stomach with a tingling, heavy heat. His hands covered her breasts, teasing lightly before slipping down lightly over her sides and down to her hips then back up to tease her nipples once more.

Dan reveled in her moans and whimpers, knowing that his touch elicited such an excited response from her was extremely satisfying, but not quite enough. Dan took hold of her wrists lightly and pulled her arms above her head, making sure she was still thoroughly distracted by the kiss in the process. Holding her arms together with one hand, he used the other to form an ectoplasmic band around her wrists, which he then attached to the headboard. He smirked against her lips and tightened the bands around her wrists until finally she turned her head away from the kiss and cried out.

"Dan! What're you doing?" Sam screeched, tugging desperately at the bonds on her hands. She twisted and pulled and struggled, but they just wouldn't break. They were so tight that tears started leaking out of Sam's eyes, why did he feel the need to punish her? She trembled again, as she stopped fighting and looked at Dan, in fear instead of desire.

The look Dan gave her as he moved so he could look over her body at his leisure was not one of pity, only raw hunger "My little bird, I warned you about crying. I also warned you about being careful what you wish for."

"But did you have to tie me up?!" Sam demanded, struggling a little bit harder and feeling very angry. She was giving him what he wanted, did he have to completely humiliate her in the process? She closed her eyes and sighed the need to cry away. She should have known better, of course humiliation was his aim.

Dan moved back over her and kissed her soundly, searing her lips with a hypnotic chill. "Yes," he murmured huskily. A wicked smile twitched the corners of his mouth as Sam's eyes darkened, caught almost instantly in the spell of desire. His eyes traced over her body again, he could never look at her enough. Finally… finally she was all his, he would share her with no one. His tongue licked over his lips hungrily at the sight of her pale ivory skin. Dan wanted to devour her, take every inch of her and make it his. He would settle for nothing less than all of her, heart, mind, body and soul. His mouth dipped down to her earlobe and he nipped at it before burying his nose deep in her hair and inhaling.

Her scent alone drove him mad with lust. It could have been enough if he'd never seen her naked, never seen every inch of her moon kissed skin, her firm breasts, the delicious curve of her hip, the luscious length of her legs. He knew he was fooling himself, even having her like this wasn't enough. He would never have enough even when he had it all.

Sam gasped and whimpered as his hands roamed over her body, touching her but only so lightly, and not the way she wanted him too. Why was he being so gentle and reverent? What was he planning? Sam struggled against the mental bonds in her mind, trying desperately to force her mind to wrap around coherent thought, but Dan was effectively disarming all her efforts with his teasing finger tips, his cold lips and sharp fangs on her neck, fingers from one hand tangling her hair and his other hand smoothing down and down and stopping right _there_ and- oh! Sam arched into his hand as his fingers feathered deftly between her legs, parted her thighs, then slipped delicately into her velvet depths, spinning her up into a breathtaking whirlwind of pleasure. "

DANNY!" She screamed, hips hitting the sheets again and body boneless against the mattress, she struggled to catch her breath for a moment and then bewilderment set in.

Dan pulled away from her immediately, lips, teeth, tongue and hands all gone in a flash. Sam whined from the back of her throat, in a futile attempt to bring him back to her. Dan rose up with his knees on either side of her and glared down at her with every ounce of anger he possessed. He clenched his fists and shook with rage. The fury surged through him until he could no longer even look at her. She didn't want him. The longer he loomed above her, glowering at her trembling body below him, the more angry he became. The manipulative little bitch. He wanted nothing more at that moment than be damned with it all and kill her then and there.

"Dan…" she murmured, "I'm sorry… I didn't- it was an accident, I swear. Please don't-"

His enraged expression morphed into a sly smirk. "Too late," he told her. He'd made up his mind to punish her. He believed that on some level she really did want him, but it wasn't enough. He wanted to make sure she would never again scream out another's name when he touched her. He would enjoy teaching her this lesson. Dan slid easily off the bed, a flash of light surrounded him and he was dressed again. Coolly, without even one look back, he phased through the door and was gone.

Sam mentally cursed herself. Why did she have to be so stupid? Pressing her legs tightly together, she tried to quell the lust that was still bubbling inside her. "I'm sorry, Dan…"

**Well, well, well… so we ALMOST got to the lemon this time. But silly, silly Sammy. She just had to go and call out the wrong name tsk tsk. **

**Anyway, SUPER BIG HUGE THANKS TO ME THE ANON ONE!!!!! Read her stuff on fiction press! SERIOUSLY. Link is in her bio.**

**Please review!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

**Vlad's an atheist in this chapter. That shouldn't surprise anyone. If a character talking about the nonexistence of God offends you, please don't tell me so because you were warned.**

Tucker woke up from a rather peaceful sleep, considering the circumstances. For one sleep-ridden moment he wanted to believe that all of it was a dream, but that thought was quickly expelled from his mind. He rubbed his eyes for a moment and then leaned up on his elbows. He jumped a little in shock when he noticed Jazz was sitting the armchair across from him. "Jazz?"

Jazz was looking directly at Tucker, but it was clear that she wasn't seeing him. Tears were streaming down her face and her breathing was labored.

"Jazz? What's wrong?" Tucker asked worriedly as he sat up to get a better look at her. "What happened? Did you have a bad dream?" Tucker's face paled, "Did… did Danny do something?"

Jazz shook her head, her eyes closing. "No… Danny didn't do anything."

Tucker stood up and Jazz couldn't help but avert her eyes as she realized that he was shirtless. Sitting down in the armchair with her, Tucker pulled Jazz into his lap. "Then what's wrong?" He wrapped his arms comfortingly around her waist from behind. "You can talk to me, Jazz," he placed a light kiss on her neck and Jazz was relieved that he couldn't see her blush.

"I'm just worried, Tucker. I'm scared. I've never been afraid of Danny before. Danny is good. At least I thought he was. Maybe his ghost half is just inherently evil, but Sam was keeping him good. What if we never find her, Tuck? Or worse, what if we do find her and she's… dead?" Another wave of tears crashed over her, "I don't like being afraid of my baby brother, Tuck, I don't like it."

"Jazz. Danny is good. His ghost half was neutral, it became good because of him. I've known Danny for a long time, Jazz, and one of his biggest fears is that he will lose someone that he loves. He's especially protective of Sam, we know that. And his biggest fear is being realized, of course he's not going to react well to it."

"But Tucker, what if he does go insane? What if he really does lose his mind?"

"We'll deal with that when and if it happens."

Jazz turned in Tucker's arms and buried her face in his shoulder. "He's my brother, Tuck… my baby brother, I'm supposed to take care of him. How can I take care of him now?"

"Shh," Tucker whispered soothingly, "shh, everything will be alright. We'll find Sam. Danny will be okay." He stoked her short red hair and placed soft kisses on her forehead. "It's all gonna be okay."

"How do you know? What proof do you have?" Jazz begged, searching his beautiful green eyes as if the answers she needed would be written there. There were answers there, that she wanted, but not the ones she needed right now.

"I have hope, Jazz. It might not be logical, there might not be proof for it, but I have hope."

Jazz tear-stained face broke into a smile. "You're amazing, has anyone ever told you that?" Her palm found its way to his cheek and she rubbed her thumb under his eye.

Tucker smirked benevolently. "A couple of times."

"I mean it, Tuck, I don't know what I would do without you," Jazz smiled and placed a quick chaste kiss on his lips. She pulled away and blushed. "Um… I'm sorry, I-" she was cut off by the soft warm prying of Tucker's lips. "Mmmph…" she moaned. She smiled as he continued to gently caress her mouth with his.

Upstairs, Danny shuffled sleepily into the bathroom, jeans a little more wrinkled than they were yesterday, though he was sans shirt. Danny grinned as he thought blissfully of calling Sam. He wanted to tell her that he had broken up with Valerie and that she was the one he had loved all along. The dream-addled thought made him giddy.

He froze and bit back a wave of tears when he realized that he couldn't call her. In the bathroom, he stood at the sink and splashed cold water over his face. After wiping the excess drops off with a towel he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror, jaw nearly dropping at what he saw.

Beginning at his left eye, spreading over the top of his cheek and the bottom of his forehead, reaching back into his black hair was horrible, blue and purple, face-mangling bruise. Gently, Danny fingered the disfigured skin, only to wince a moment later. He hadn't realized Tucker had hit him so hard. Danny sighed resignedly as he moved his hand away from his face. Guilt crashed down on him and threatened to drown him. Tuck had given him exactly what he deserved. "I should've been there to protect her…" he lamented. "I deserve a lot worse than this, Tuck," he muttered to no one.

Sighing heavily, Danny turned and trudged back into his room, throwing on what may or may not have been a clean shirt. He wasn't exactly inclined to care at this point. He trudged downstairs as though his feet were made of lead. His whole body felt heavy. He'd never been out of contact with Sam for this long and it was starting to prod at his heart with fiery hot knives. Any part of him that wasn't focused on finding Sam was dedicated only to breathing.

Upon reaching the living room, even that was suspended.

There, curled up tightly and entwined in the armchair, were Tucker and Jazz, whispering sweetly to each other. Danny's jaw dropped to the floor just before it snapped shut and clenched. "Ahem," Danny coughed low in his throat.

Jazz and Tucker jumped apart as though the other were on fire.

"D-danny, it's not what it looks like," Jazz stammered out, but her face belied her words. She was flushed and her lips were red and swollen. The tangles in her hair could not be excused by bed head.

Tucker said nothing, he merely looked at Danny with suspended eyes. He was waiting. He'd seen Danny get angry at Jazz's boyfriends before, he did not want to suffer their same fate. So he was waiting.

Danny cast an indifferent look at the both of them and headed into the kitchen.

Tucker and Jazz exchanged an uneasy look before following him, careful not to make any sudden noises. Danny had always warn him emotions on his sleeve, when he was mad, his eyes flashed green and his eyebrows furrowed at the same time his lips set into a thin line. When he was sad, he cried and withdrew; his eyes got more blue than usual and when he was happy, his eyes sparkled and he wouldn't stop smiling for anything.

The indifference was disturbing. Danny was completely unreadable. His eyes were blank, almost as though he had been hypnotized. They were green, but not glowing. His mouth was one flat line and his breathing was barely detectable, almost as though he was doing it completely out of habit and not necessity.

"Danny…?" Jazz began gently. "Are you okay? Do you want something to eat?"

"I'm fine," he deadpanned. "I'm not hungry."

Tucker and Jazz were both taken aback. Their friend, whose voice had also always conveyed emotion, sounded like that of a robot. There was little to no inflection and it was extremely disconcerting.

"Man, you should eat something," Tucker advised.

"Do you know where Sam is?" Danny asked, looking at Tucker with dead green eyes.

Tucker raised an eyebrow at him. "No, Danny. Why would I?"

"Don't talk to me unless you have something to say about where Sam is. I am not concerned with food. I am not concerned with sleep. I am not concerned with you two fucking each other. I just want to find Sam and like I've said before if you're not going to help me, then stay the hell out of my way," where there would have been anger in his voice by the end of his speech before, now there was nothing.

Somewhere, deep in Danny's subconscious, was the scared, pure, heroic little boy that he always had been, but circumstances were driving him over the edge. Danny was angry, very angry. So angry in fact that his mind had shut him down so that he would destroy all of Amity Park. Now, all that was showed was indifference.

"Danny," Jazz began in her logical voice, "Tucker and I are not together and we are certainly not… 'fucking' as you so delicately put it. And in any case, what Tucker and I do together is none of your business. Now you need to take a deep breath and a step back and look at yourself."

Danny heaved a huge sigh. "Jazz…" he began in a consenting voice.

"Yes, Danny?" She answered hopefully.

"Shut the hell up," he finished coldly. He stood up from the chair he'd been sitting in and headed for the basement. "I'm going to look for Sam. I will wait ten minutes for you two. If you're going to help me, be down in the Specter Speeder and ready to go." He disappeared through the basement door.

"You think we've lost him, Tuck?"

"No… not yet. But if we're not careful, we're going to very soon."

Jazz heaved a sigh. "I don't want to lose him, Tucker."

"Me neither, Jazz. Me neither…"

--------------------------

"But Mr. Masters…" Valerie began as she changed behind the screen, into the fresh clothes Vlad had provided for her upon reaching his mansion. When Vlad had exposed Danny in a fight so many years ago, Danny had in turn exposed Vlad and Valerie was well aware that both men were half ghost, but for some reason, she didn't hold the same grudge against Vlad that she did Danny.

Vlad smiled charmingly as she poked her head out from behind the screen. "Please, my dear. Call me Vlad."

Valerie gulped slightly at his vampire smile, "Um, okay. Vlad," she stilted the name out awkwardly, "I don't understand. I could have had him right then and there."

"No, my dear, you could have killed him right then and there. There is a very big difference, Valerie," Vlad tried to smile benignly at her, but it kept coming out as condescending.

"So why didn't you let me kill him then? I thought you wanted him dead."

Vlad smiled almost fondly as Valerie stepped out from behind the screen, dressed in a short, flowing red dress. He found himself almost thinking that he would miss her. "Ahh, you look lovely my dear."

Valerie blushed slightly, but kept her game face. "I thought you wanted him dead," she repeated.

"No, Valerie, I said I wanted him destroyed. There is no way you could have killed Daniel."

"I can take him. I don't care how powerful he is."

"You misunderstand, dear girl, you cannot kill Daniel. It is impossible."

"He's immortal?" Valerie questioned. If Danny was indeed immune to death, it would make quite a lot of sense.

"No," Vlad answered simply, purposefully forcing her into a game of questions.

"He's already dead?" Valerie was feeling very confused. It was a feeling she did not like. She seemed to be living a lot of her life in confusion lately. She missed the days when Danny and Phantom were not the same person in her mind. Things were so much more black and white then.

"No," Vlad answered, growing impatient with his pawn as he led her down a spiraling staircase to the dining room. "To be sure, he can die, but you cannot kill him. Clockwork would have stopped you." Valerie had been such a valuable asset at one point, but now she was utterly useless to him.

"Clockwork?" She asked curiously.

"The ghost who controls time," Vlad replied.

"Doesn't God do that?"

Vlad let loose a hearty laugh. "Haven't lost your faith in the All-Mighty Father, have you? Surprising, but pleasantly so. There aren't many idealists left in the world. With everything you've seen, all the death, all the lost souls, I would have figured you would have lost hope in God and all his promises."

"If I lose faith, then what do I have to fight for?"

"The thing I always assumed you were fighting for: revenge." Vlad began leading her through a series of corridors that reminded Valerie strongly of a labyrinth.

Valerie looked down. She'd always thought that she was serving some higher power by relieving the world of evil ghosts. But Vlad obviously thought otherwise and she feared looking like a silly little child in his eyes. "I guess…"

"Really, you and Daniel never cease to amaze me," he began condescendingly, "All the horrors you encounter in the world and yet still you cling on to your faith. Both of you. It's rather endearing. Of course, where you cling to God, Daniel clings desperately to a love that will never be his."

Valerie kept her eyes averted from Vlad, instead taking the opportunity to stare at the walls that were bejeweled with paintings. Everything about Vlad's castle seemed to be extravagant, almost grotesquely so. Everything was colorful to the point of garishness and Valerie sorely wanted freedom from the assault on her senses.

Vlad led her through an intricate French door, into a rather grand dining room. The walls were crimson and the carpet was the color of rich wine. The large banquet table and chairs were made of mahogany. All the red was starting to make Valerie a little uneasy, but she said nothing. What wasn't red in the dining room was gold instead.

Vlad pulled out a chair for Valerie, "Do sit down, my dear." He took the seat to her right, at the head of the table. "Dinner will be served shortly."

"It's very nice of you to do all this for me, Mr. Masters."

"Vlad, my dear, Vlad," he corrected with a smile that would make a crocodile cringe.

Valerie smiled weakly back and was suddenly grateful when the food arrived. Spreading her napkin on her lap, she sifted through the contents of her plate, poked at them carefully with her fork. sniffed the food delicately.

"Checking for poison?" Vlad asked as though the idea were completely ridiculous and Valerie was just being silly. If there had been any room in his heart for fondness, he certainly would have felt some for Valerie. She was, after all, quite endearing. At times she seemed to be a younger, female version of himself and had he the time and energy, he might have liked to make her his apprentice, but she was nothing but a nuisance to him now.

Valerie sat back in her chair, wrung her hands in her lap and blushed. "Umm…"

Vlad smiled fondly at her. "It's quite alright, my dear. I understand. I would do nothing different were I in you position."

"Really?"

"Of course," Vlad continued, "I have always been your benefactor, but from afar. It is strange that all of a sudden I would open up my home to you. Although, it is purely self-interest."

"How so?"

"My dear, I have invested quite a bit of money in you and now my investment is in danger. Daniel has clearly gone off the deep end and should he decide that you are worthy of attack, he would kill you easily. It is safer to keep you here until he can be… dealt with, rather than risk your life and all of my valuable equipment."

Valerie nodded, suspicions slightly assuaged and began to eat the food that had been placed in front of her.

Vlad watched her, not once touching his own food. He smiled when she was finally finished, seeing the plate almost perfectly clean. "Did you enjoy?"

"Yes, thank you," Valerie replied courteously.

"I'm glad," he turned to a maid that had seemingly appeared out of nowhere. "Bring out two glasses of wine, you'll find the chef already has them prepared."

The maid quickly disappeared behind a door and reappeared a moment later, carrying a tray with two glasses of red wine placed upon it.

"Care for a drink, Valerie, my dear?" Vlad asked courteously as the maid handed her one of the glasses.

Valerie took it, again warily. She didn't trust anyone, let alone a man who had invited her into his home, was old enough to be her father and treating her as though she were his date.

"Still suspicious, well I suppose you aren't completely naïve. Honestly, I almost miss the days when both you and Daniel were more easily plied," he released a small sigh of nostalgia, "more gullible."

Swirling the wine around in the glass, but saying nothing, Valerie observed the blood-colored liquid carefully, checking for any sign of poisoning. Suddenly, she stopped and set the glass down in front of her. "Thank you," she said curtly, "but no thank you."

"Smart girl. I'd like to take a little bit of credit for it."

"Don't," Valerie answered coldly, feeling less and less comfortable by the second. "Could I please have a glass of water?"

Vlad nodded in consent, "Julia, please bring our guest a glass of water."

The young maid curtseyed and rushed off to the kitchen, almost immediately returning with a plain glass of water. Valerie thanked her, but the maid said nothing.

"Satisfied?" Vlad asked with just a hint of smugness, trying to keep the smirk from creeping over his face.

Valerie downed some of the water and grinned slightly. "Yes, thank you."

"You know, my dear girl, you really have no reason not to trust me…" Vlad continued in the same condescending tone he'd been using toward her since she'd arrived.

Valerie merely eyed him for a moment before she began to sputter and cough.

Vlad finally allowed himself to smirk at her, all politeness gone, as she began to breathe heavily and writhe in her seat, "But that doesn't mean you should."

"Wh-what hav-e yo-you done to me?" Valerie choked out through her rapid breathing.

"You're a clever young woman, Miss Gray, but not quite clever enough. You played right into my hands, my dear. I knew that you would be suspicious, as you rightfully were, I also knew you would refuse the wine and would ask for water instead. I poisoned both just in case," Vlad explained.

Valerie clutched her head and moaned in agony. "With what?" She gasped.

"Cyanide," Vlad answered simply, "an extremely high potency. You should already be experiencing rapid heart-rate and breathing, and I assume a headache. Soon you will become very nauseous. After that, perhaps you will convulse and your lungs will fail-"

Valerie sent Vlad a vicious glare. "I know what it does, you bastard. You're murdering me."

"Quite right."

"Why?"

"When you were fourteen, you and Daniel were far more useful to me, but now that he is insane and will be taken care of for me and you are too smart to be a pawn anymore, I have no use for you."

"So you're killing me?" Valerie wheezed. A spasm passed through her muscles and she fell off of her chair, onto her knees.

"Life does get very boring. I do need amusement every now and then."

Valerie would have glared at him again, but was distracted by suddenly losing everything she had eaten at dinner. Pain was searing in her lungs, throbbing and causing her to convulse and wretch on the floor.

"You know, that was a very expensive rug, my dear," Vlad chided. He watched with a sadistic smile on his face as she continued to spasm and gasp for air, like a fish out of water.

Valerie could feel her heart slowing down as her body shook harder and tears streamed out of her eyes as she lay on her back on the floor. The only thought running through her mind was how stupid she had always been in not accepting Danny's help and friendship and how humiliated she was now, dying like this. She was stripped of all dignity, unable to even control her own breathing, the most basic of vital functions.

Vlad turned away from her and walked coolly toward the doorway. He turned to the maid one more time as he heard Valerie's labored breathing die down before stopping completely. Knowing she would lie there in agony a little longer, he said, "Julie, will you please make sure that Mr. Benedict cleans up the mess when Miss Gray is… done."

Julie only nodded her head.

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